LIKE any couple getting married, Eoghan O’Leary and new bride, Helen Guinane from Clonlara, had happy plans for the future.
Those plans were cruelly hijacked when just eight months after their wedding, Helen was diagnosed with stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer at the age of just 30. Helen passed away in August 2020.
“It was a terrible shock,” Eoghan told the Limerick Post. But Helen bravely made a decision about any fundraiser that might be organised in her name.
“She struggled to come to terms with it, but she wanted to support charities that were working towards a future where this will not be the terminal diagnosis it is now,” said Eoghan
Cycle4Helen, a fundraiser which will see Eoghan, family and friends cycle from Malin to Mizen head, will mainly raise money for METavivor whose sole focus is in the area of metastatic breast cancer and Breakthrough Cancer Research.
The group will undertake the gruelling 670km fundraising cycle from Malin Head to Mizen Head starting on July 17.
There will be a core group of 13 cyclists, some of whom are regular cycling enthusiasts but others are bravely taking on a new challenge.
“Some of the group just bought bikes in the last couple of months, but they’re coming along. It’s a group of mixed ability,” said Eoghan.
They will be joined along the way for stages by dozens of other cyclists and will hope to finish with a large group of more than 45 cyclists reaching Mizen Head on the final day.
The group are asking people to donate to support their efforts on behalf of the charities and donations can be made and progress of the six-day trip can be followed on: GOFUNDME Cycle4Helen, Instagram Cycle4Helen and Cycle4Helen Facebook.
