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So far I have raised: This fundraising page is now completed and it is no longer possible to sponsor this fundraiser via this fundraising page. |
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My Personal Message Hey folks,It's a new challenge !! First though, I sincerely want to thank those of you who donated to my efforts in 2009. I ran 3 marathons, 2 half marathons, 1 Ultra marathon (35 miles) and lots in between. In total Sli Eile raised over €100,000 and almost €15,000 was raised through this MyCharity site. But I want to step it up a gear for 2010. So, the challenge is to beat last years events target and more importantly the money raised !!! But I need your support (money that is..) to do this. I have entered the race of my life on May 30th. It's a race called the Comrades in South Africa and it goes from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, a winding and sometines very hilly distance of 90kms...yes that's right...90kms !! That's a simple 56miles !! Along the way I have entered a few marathons as a warm up...as you do in these things. So, it all starts with the Connemara Ultra Marathon on April 11th - a graceful 39.3 mile run through the rolling hills of Connemara..... So, I've finished Connemara and what a day it was...beautiful sunshine and 19 degrees heat (not great for running but good preparation for the Comrades in South Africa in 26-28 degrees) and the most amazing scenery in Ireland. I managed to get around the 39.3 mile course in 6 hours 29mins and I actually felt good after it. In fact I ran 3 more times later that week and completed a personal best in the Great Ireland 10k run in the Phoenix Park in 41mins 30secs. Not bad for an oul fella !! Then came the Belfast marathon on May 3rd - a mere 26.2 mile run in the park - I actually managed to complete Belfast in another personal best time of 3 hours 24 mins. Breaking 3.30 has been a lifetime target for me !! And then the BIG ONE...Comrades on May 30th and the race of a lifetime. Visit www.comrades.com for full details of the madness. I completed the 56 miles successfully. The race started at 05.30am and all along the way there was amazing support - people singing, dancing and lots of vuvuzelas (those noisy horns that you've probably heard at every world cup match). The atmosphere was electric and wearing an Irish shirt got great reaction and support. The Irish are loved in South Africa. I ran until just after 4pm in the afternoon when I entered the Kingsmead stadium in Durban. This was so emotional - a running track around the stadium with up to 30,000 supporters cheering you on. I crossed the finish line in 10 hours 32 mins and gained a well respected bronze medal. This will be held in high esteem among the many other medals in my growing collection. What a day to remember. Thanks to everyone for supporting me in this race but there's more to come in this challenge. After a wee break in the summer months and a few local runs of 10k and half marathons, I continue the challenge in Sept. On Sept 4th I run the Dingle Marathon in Kerry, a beautiful 26.2 mile stroll along the spectacular Kerry coastline. And not to get too attached to the south coast, on Oct 10th I head to the north coast to run the Causeway Marathon for another spectacular run along the country's northern coastline. Finally, to finish the challenge, I'll run my 7th Dublin Marathon on Oct 25th. So, in summary, I will challenge myself to the following: - April 11th : Connemara Ultra Marathon (39.3 miles) - May 3rd : Belfast marathon (26.2 miles) - May 30th : Comrades Ultra Marathon in South Africa (56 miles) - Sept 4th : Dingle Marathon (26.2 miles) - Oct 11th : Causeway marathon (26.2 miles) - Oct 25th : Dublin Marathon (26.2 miles) In all, between these races and some other races, I will have run 500 competitive kilometers in 2010 and that's not counting all the training days !! What's not taken into account is that I am running marathon distances (26 miles and beyond) on single training days for the 39 mile (Connemara) and 56 mile (Comrades) races. So, I need you to help me and the work of Sli Eile. Please consider donating any multiples of 500 cents to my cause, i.e. 1 single cent for every kilometre I run. It could be as little as 500 cents = €5 or 5,000 cents = €50 or better still 10,000 cents = €100. It's up to you but please do support me and our work. If you don't know about Sli Eile please visit our website www.sli-eile.com for full details, but it is sufficient to say that we work with young adults providing many programmes that help explore faith and social justice. Modern society can often get stripped of it's values - values that shape the future of our world - and we work to give each person on our programmes a true sense of the value of their own being and how they can positively contribute to the wider world. In doing this, we greatly value the significant role that spirituality and God plays in our lives and the world. Help us to make this difference and shape a better church and a better world for many young adults and in turn the wider community. So take up my challenge with me and give a cent for every kilometer. Just click on http://www.mycharity.ie/event/padraig_swan_event/ and start donating ...PLEASE...and THANK YOU. You can donate a single contribution or why not consider a regular direct debit amount. Kind regards and blessings as we journey together. Padraig. P.S. Better still - why not take up a small challenge with me. Could 20 women run / walk the womens mini marathon and 20 lads run the Dublin half or full marathon for Sli Eile? Go on....consider it, and contact me if you feel up to joining me on the challenge. You'll feel a whole lot better getting out there in the Spring and Summer days for training. Your body will thank you for it too !! |
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About my charity Magis Ireland strives to respond to contemporary issues in modern society in a way that is creative, flexible and relevant. At the heart of what we do is the Ignatian ethos of “finding God in all things” through a variety of programmes and events. For further information on all Magis Ireland activities why not check out the website www.magisireland.com. Here you will find all you need to know about who we are, about the various activities and how to contact us. magis Ireland also distributes a monthly email with up-to-date information on news and forthcoming events - if you are interested in being added to the mailing list please contact us on 01 888 0606 or info@magisireland.com Click here for more information |
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My Online Sponsors to Date
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