AN IMPRESSIVE Limerick woman has raised an equally impressive sum for a good cause after completing an incredible feat, with the help of a band of dedicated women who take part in her weekly fitness classes.
Patrickswell woman Maureen O’Grady presented a cheque for over €10,000 to the Irish Cancer Society to go towards breast cancer research and a night nurse.
And she raised the money by running and walking more than the distance from Limerick to Galway all in one day.
The mother of four, who runs O’Grady Fitness in Patrickswell, enlisted the help of the ladies from her fitness classes to take part in a ‘5K a Day’ challenge for the entire month of May in aid of the Irish Cancer Society.
And while the ladies of the class pulled off the challenge in style, Maureen did them one better by running and walking 5k every hour for an impressive 24 hours.
She took up the challenge between May 30 and 31, stopping only for food and short rest breaks, and the odd bit of support and aid from her physiotherapist husband. Members of Maureen’s class and the supportive community of Patrickswell joined in on the challenge throughout the 24-hour period.
Completing the challenge, Maureen walked and ran 120 kilometres across the day – more than the distance from Limerick to Galway.
Despite setting a target of raising €500 for breast cancer research and a night nurse for the Irish Cancer Society, Maureen and her helpers raised a staggering €10,300 – presenting a cheque to the Society this week.
Maureen herself lost her father to cancer last year.
The Patrickswell woman is no stranger to charitable acts, having raised funds for various charities over the years with the ladies from her class, including Limerick Suicide Watch.
In an online post on her fundraising web page, Maureen said that “a few ladies in O’Grady Fitness have been affected by breast cancer, so this means a lot to us. And anyone who has had to use the service of a night nurse will know what angels they are and the invaluable support they provide.”
