Diary of BELIEF

BELIEF

Diary of my 268 km walk to Dublin - 2 years ago

(REPOSTS FROM THE SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES)

With my walk, I hoping to raise awareness for the parents of crumlin to help spread the word on how they can help themselves by at least walking 15 mins a day. Of course hoping to show numerous people going through any sort of hard time, walking can help. Of course I hope to raise a substantial amount of money for Crumlin itself also.

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I am currently walking from Ballincollig, Cork to our lady’s hospital in Crumlin. Over 250Km to raise money for Crumlin Children’s Hospital.,

Acceptance.

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You will miss Serena and Eli. It will be long. Work will not go as you planned. It will be cold. It will rain. It will be below 0 degrees. Your back will be sore. Your knee will be sore. Yours shins will want to burst. Your bones in your feet will be agony. Your feet will cut. Your skin will burn. It will be long. It will be lonely. You will want to quit. You will think you have enough done to quit. You will hit a wall. You will hit a wall again. And again you will hit a wall. You will get injured. Your will be sore. You will get sick. You will not sleep great. The food will be crap. It will not go to plan. Roadworks will disrupt the route. The midlands will be long and lonely. You will want to quit again.

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Focus on W.I.N. (What’s Important Now)

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Control the controllables.

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Never too high, never too low, stay the course.

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The most important thing will always be the point your walking too.

2018 ? BELIEF ? Walk ?

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Day 1 down!!! 74.7km ??-

Left at 5.30am this morning. It was cold and got a lot colder, the more north a walked. Left Ballincollig, headed for the train station in the city, out to Vienna woods, Glanmire, riverstown and on to watergrasshill, rathcormac, Fermoy and mitchelstown.

Broke the limerick border and headed to Kilbehenny and onto brake the tipp border. Walked until dark and headed for a Centra to pick supplies.

It was wet today, very heavy clothes. To be expected. I won’t be walking near this distance again for the week. I’m living off food in petrol stations and convenience stores. I’m walking solo. No support car, no one with me. No ready made meals, no meet up points. The GoFundMe was hopping today and extremely encouraging!

The amount of messages I received, nothing like a ever experienced. Making the night a little less lonely!! On to Kilkenny tomorrow. All messages, shares of the story, donations, everything is beyond what I ever imagined!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you!! Now all I gotta do it turn and go again tomorrow!! ??

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Day 2 down!!! ??-

79km!!

I just wanted to make today my longest day! Didn’t even think I’d break 70km. Adrenaline kicked in and I’m hoping for every bit of it tomorrow.

Started at the tipp border, headed for Cahir, then cashel. After cashel and until I complete tomorrow. The real tests have started. Long, lonely stretches of just road. No shops, houses etc. Headed to the horse and jockey and straight on the Kilkenny border and beyond Urlingford.

Behind on time tonight, get a place to stay. But I was happy to stay out. Didn’t fancy being back early on Tuesday. Day 1 was a buzz completing. Today is a nothing, a long way from the finish. Tomorrow will be huge for me. Feels like final, huge exam. Tomorrow will change me. I can withstand a lot but tomorrow will test me. Just gotta turn up and walk!! ??

2018 ? BELIEF ? Walk ?

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Day 3 down!!!

67 km!! ??

Today was tough, I expected it to be. The last two days, is just waking into nothing. Nothing ahead, nothing to side!

Today, for the most of Laois, there wasn’t even a hard shoulder. All back roads. When your not in full control of your legs. Hairy times.

Set off today from just past urlingford, onto the Laois border, into durrow, Abbeyleix, ballyroan, then the wall!! I cried for 16 km straight. Could of been more. Wasn’t taking food well today either. Salts and water was very good! Today I wanted to quit more than I wanted to live. Not win, live!

It was a rough road. Long, Long stretch to Gandon inn, ballybrittas, monasterevin and on part Kildare. Testing my hips, by trying to lift by knees to my hip. Wasn’t going well so finished up. I got 3 hrs and 44 mins broken sleep last night. Swipe to see. The pain of lying down is unimaginable.

The adrenaline that kicks in to take away the pain when I get into it insane! I don’t know how the rest will go. I’ve two days to get it done, I just have to be home for Eli’s birthday Saturday. So I can spilt between thurs and fri if I like. But tomorrow’s plan, is just turn up and see how we go!

The messages of support are a powerful!! Been out on the road since 5.20am Monday by myself and it feels like I’ve an army with me!! Thank you all so much!!

2018 ? BELIEF ? Walk ?

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Day 4 down!!! 47.9km

Belief walk ??—-263 km in total. Many have called me tough but I’ll tell you now, I write this from a hotel room crying my eyes out listening to “Take That- Never forget” on repeat. I’ll talk about today’s walk & the walk itself in detail tomorrow but for now know, I’m broke up but I’m not broken. My mind is strong and if I had to walk for crumlin again in the morning, I’d turn up!

I was 23 stone. I’ve lost 10 stone by myself.

In cork had 50 Australian dollars to my name and I couldn’t get a job, I set up a career and business by myself.

I’ve walked over 250km by myself.

Make no mistake about it social media. My single greatest achievement is my family.

Happiest day of my life is marrying Serena.

Proudest day of my life is the birth of Eli.

Crumlin saved my sons life, so I owe them mine.

We live in a world where people crave bodies only attainable with cosmetic surgery and drugs.

People crave and obsess over material objects.

Show me a person who uses smoke, mirrors and flashing lights on social media, I’ll show you someone who lives in darkness.

Live for the moment and in the moment. For we never know when the moment will be taken away. Family is everything.

If you are an influencer, use your words wisely. We have an obligation to the people coming behind us (youth), to leave the place in a better condition than we found it! ????

The day after my 4 week old son was rushed to Crumlin when he was dying, I used the techniques to control myself so I could have better control of the situation. Morning routines, habits, ticked daily. I walked every day for clarity.

I hope my message has helped some people this week. The money is for Crumlin but my message, I will not stop sharing!

The people who have supported me this week, understand this, and I will explain the how’s and why’s. I would not of made it to crumlin without your messages and support. For that, I am forever in your debt. I will always repay you! ??

2018 ? BELIEF ? Walk ?

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Day 4 Down!

47 km

Yesterday was by far physically the hardest day of the lot. Mentally, not the toughest. Areas were a lot more built up, great for the mind.

My ankle was in pain again. Very little sleep again, the night before was 3.44hr sleep, Wednesday night was 4.40hr sleep. I can’t explain the pain I was feeling in my two glutes, hip flexors, left knee where the bones meet, and then there’s my two ankles. My right one is worse but the left took a big hit too.

The pain lying down or standing is unbearable, siting wasn’t an option with my hip flexors, I wouldn’t of got up. My main and only goal was get to naas and re asses. Day 1-3 I would take maybe 10-15 min breaks 1-2 times a day.

When I reached naas- the addictive high drug that is adrenaline kicked! I’m telling you now- I could not feel pain. Only being restricted by the swelling around my body. If I stopped, I wouldn’t of been able to re start! I just drove on, the border was a high, Dublin road was a high!

I burst through each point with sheer raw determination. Sorry to be heavy but I had the sound of my dying sons screams in my ear! An army wasn’t stopping me. All until I hit the long mile road. 3km to crumlin hospital. The final 1.5 km took me 30 mins. Every landmark brought tears. Eleanor’s, costa, boots, Ronald Mac Donald house, parents of Crumlin will know them.

I walked alone for 4 days, to share the loneliness and pain of the parents so far from home. I was asked by the hospital if I wanted a team to meet me, I declined. I didn’t want any celebrations there as it’s not the place. My wife arrived as I did.

As we both walked in to the hospital to grab a coffee, two parents walked out crying. There is no stopping up there. It’s 24/7. 365. I want you all to know, every b&b/hotel booked, food needed, runners bought, train ticket home, is all paid by myself. Every penny raised is going to the people who need it. I need your money for the hospital & a need your shares to get my message out & thank you for both.

This week was my first week off work this year. I couldn’t of picked a better thing to be doing. I’m immensely proud.

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2018 ? BELIEF ? Walk ?

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UPDATE-

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Since I completed the walk last Thursday, I have just been getting back into the swing of things and recovering. Spent Friday with my wife and Eli.

Celebrated Eli’s birthday Saturday. Attended the Ballincollig parish league final on Sunday. Monday I was back to work. Monday I did a light training training session also, bike and upper body weights.

Tuesday I went to the physio, I was referred to my GP. My GP then referred me to the Mater to see the doctors. Urine tests was ok, (for those who would take interest-) kidney function fine, electrolytes, potassium, calcium etc all fine. Blood work showed maybe clot/infection. Ultrasound cleared me of clot.

So the list so far is -

X-ray - clear.

Ultrasound - no clot but cyst in back of right knee from overuse.

Left metatarsals stressed with inflammation. Bone bruising on left knee and left hip.

Right ankle area, damage to ligaments, pulls and tears. inflammation and metatarsals stressed. Infection inside and outside on the skin.

Also waiting on results on Mri to see if there is an acute fracture to the area.

Spent Tuesday in the Mater, getting treated and went back in on Wednesday for more tests but I feel absolutely fine. Recommended to wear a protective boot and crutches until results.

It’s not a macho thing or look how hard I am, I still trained today and yesterday. I just didn’t do anything to aggravate the injuries. Just did want I could to tick my boxes and control my controllables..

I had two unexpected days away this week & on the back of last week, I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank my staff at .... not just this week and last week but for the last few weeks in the training. I was hoping they would be well equipped but they have blown me away with their level of work rate. I’ll never forget it. Not just current staff, staff throughout all of it. Thank you!.. I know words don’t mean much, ye will be well thanked at the well earned Xmas party!!

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