peter
“Last year around June I was watching a documentary called The Barkley Marathons about people who were running these crazy distances and times in the US. I already had ‘running a marathon’ on my bucket list so I shared the idea with my wife and she supported it. Then the next day I was watching one of those morning shows on TV about a kid whose wish was just granted by the Make a Wish Charity. So I thought, if I do it, it should pick a charity to do it for. A few days later I signed up for the Dublin Marathon and set up a GoFundMe page for Make a Wish and basically left it there for family and friends. I told my colleagues about it and everyone seemed to love the idea. I didn’t even make an effort to look at the page but every now and then I would receive an email that someone donated another 100 euros. I used those emails as a motivator to continue my exercise programme, especially on those gloomy, grey and rainy days. When I got to the marathon there was 3.5 grand on the GoFundMe page. I was chuffed with the success, and I went running the marathon. When I crossed the finish line I promised myself I would never ever, ever do it again. But my promise lasted only about three days because you soon forget about the pain and the struggle and remember how much you got out of the whole thing. You actually start looking forward to the next one. Meanwhile, Make a Wish called me and congratulated me for the 3.5 grand. They were delighted and I felt accomplished, and the everyday runs made me feel happy and healthy. I am proud to set an example for my daughters, to raise money for a charity and I could cross something off my bucket list…. Okay, there are three tough days after the marathon- but come on, it’s really nothing compared to all those amazing benefits.”
This post was highlighted by SSE Airtricity for the SSE Airtricity Dublin Marathon.
Everyone who toes the line on Oct 29th has a story to tell. This year, the #TwentyThousandStories aims to empower everyday heroes to share their powerful, personal stories and motivations for running the SSE Airtricity #DublinMaraton.