Support Dermot & Dan's ultra for St. Vincent's CCD

Running marathons has probably never been easy, but it’s become even more challenging after battling a few health conditions that left a lasting impact on my body. This April, I’m taking on the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon alongside my great friend Dermot Walsh.

I’m running to raise funds for the Centre for Colorectal Disease (CCD) at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin. This cause is deeply personal to me. There are two groups of people who’ve made it possible for me to reach this point: my amazing family and the incredible team led by Mr. Sean Martin at St. Vincent’s Hospital. After enduring two awful years, being referred to Sean and his team was a turning point in my life. Their exceptional care gave me hope when I was really struggling.

I took my health and fitness for granted before, but now I’m more conscious of how lucky we are to be able to get out there and put one foot in front of the other. By training for and completing this run, I aim to raise awareness about colitis, Crohn’s disease and other colorectal conditions while supporting vital research that improves lives. This is also my way of expressing some thanks to Sean, Aaron, and the entire extraordinary team at St. Vincent’s for giving me my life back.

The Centre for Colorectal Disease is at the forefront of patient care and ground breaking research. Their mission is to advance understanding of colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) while enhancing clinical care for patients across Ireland. Their work combines education, clinical research, and compassionate care to improve the lives of those affected by these challenging conditions.

By supporting this cause, we can help CCD continue their life-changing work and ensure more people like me get a second chance.