Magnificent 7 take part in Mizen to Malin Ultra Cycle

Charity event in aid of Irish Kidney Association

It’s a long way from Tipperary… for seven men who will undertake a gruelling 600 kilometre ultra cycle from Mizen to Malin, scaling 4,000 meters of elevation, and all within 24 hours between the June 25 and 26.

The event, supported by Upperchurch Drombane Cycling Club (UDCC), was launched at Liberty Square in Thurles on Wednesday last, June 1. The organisers hope the event will raise over €7,000 for the Tipperary branch of the Irish Kidney Association and an online fundraising platform has been set up for donations through Just Giving www.justgiving.com/fundraising/francis-hogan-549-hogan.

Attending the event’s launch were the challenge’s seven cyclists, one of whom has chronic kidney disease, and their crew, who will be travelling the route in two vans and many more supporters. Representing the Irish Kidney Association at the launch was Tipperary branch secretary, Orla Hogan Ryan, from Nenagh, who has undergone four kidney transplants including two from deceased donors. No stranger to sport, Orla has won many medals at European and World Transplant Sports events). Some other kidney transplant recipients also showed up at Liberty Square.

Taking part in the Mizen to Malin challenge will be David Russell, an award-winning young farmer from Thurles as well as father and son David and Jamie Donovan, also from Thurles, along with well-known building contractor Seamus Duggan, from Templemore, Pat Heffernan from Moyglass, Fethard, and James Tobin, an actuary, who lives in Urlingford, Co Kilkenny.

One of the magnificent seven cyclists will be 45-year-old kidney patient Francis Hogan from Templemore. The self-employed father of five was diagnosed with a hereditary kidney condition, PKD, when he was in his early 20s. Through careful medical intervention and medication, and healthy lifestyle choices, including dietary and fitness, he has slowed down the progression of his disease and he now has 25% kidney function. Francis is a strong advocate for fitness in aiding a person’s physical and emotional wellbeing. In 2001 Francis’s late father Gus, who also shared the same hereditary kidney condition, passed away in hospital, at the young age of 49, with heart failure just a day after undergoing a kidney transplant.

Speaking at the launch about the upcoming Mizen to Malin Ultra Cycle, Francis said: “The seven of us have been training hard for this challenge, and while we are used to long distance endurance cycles, we have never done anything to this scale before. However, we have ramped up our training over the past couple months and we feel we are both physically and mentally able for the journey and are looking forward to it in just over three weeks’ time. We are delighted that we can support an important charity cause in the process. Our cycling club, Upperchurch Drombane, is located in a small rural area in mid Tipperary and, yet at least two other members of the club and their families have benefited from the support of the Irish Kidney Association. That’s why we are channeling the fundraising into the Tipperary Branch of the Irish Kidney Association and we hope that we can help raise awareness about organ donation also. I'd like to thank everyone who is supporting the event including UDCC, the organisers, supporters and sponsors and also the support team, who will be travelling in a minibus.”

Speaking at the launch Orla Hogan, the Secretary of the Tipperary Branch of the Irish Kidney Association, added: “We are hugely grateful to UDCC and greatly admire these seven men, who are truly magnificent for undertaking this gruelling challenge to support the work of the Irish Kidney Association and in the process are raising organ donor awareness.

“We wish them every success with their challenge, we look forward to following it on their Facebook page and we thank everyone who is involved in supporting it.”

Orla’s four kidney transplants came as a result of her hereditary kidney condition, Bidel Vardot Syndrome. She underwent two living donor kidney transplants, one from her mother Nora in 1991 and following two deceased donor kidney transplants, which each lasted four years, her most recent successful and longest surviving transplant, took place in 2008 with a kidney donated by her younger brother Cathal Hogan. Orla comes from a well-known sporting family in Tipperary. Her father Séamus Hogan played hurling for Tipperary when the county won the All-Ireland final in 1971.

HOW TO SUPPORT FUNDRAISER

Anyone wishing to contribute to the event’s fundraiser can do so online to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/francis-hogan-549-hogan.