Alcatraz 2022 – Thank You!

Crew!

A hearty, belated THANK YOU for supporting the huge success of my seventh Escape From Alcatraz in June, raising more than $10,000 for two causes in June.

I ran this year’s race for TeamCindy and the Brain Aneurysm Foundation ($5,230 raised), and with a personal ‘bonus’ pledge to match ever dollar with a Euro going to The Solace Donegal Cancer Center in honor of my Mum (€5,230).  Mum, Carmel Brennan, passed away from colon cancer at 70 in October 2019 and a four-month battle that shocked us all.

I finished in a ‘consistent’ time of 3 hours and 10 minutes!

It was a sodden race with the first experience of a wet, edgy bike ride after a swim in which the start boat was adjusted because of a heavy sitting fog. The best part of the day was being out there again with great friend and training partner of years now – and old rugby team mate from secondary school days in Epsom! – Simon Longbottom.

I wanted to share a little more about The Solace and our visit end of June in Donegal to hand over the cheque in person – joined by Dad, brother Pete, sister (not a nun) Keara and niece and nephew Daisy and Finn….

It was a real honor to meet Sister Magdalene, who founded the Solace.  And to hand over a giant cardboard cheque (thanks to Dad arranging this with the local Bank of Ireland!).

The Solace is a beautiful and serene respite for cancer battlers on the outskirts of Donegal Town.

Its founder, Sister Magdalene had in the early 2000s got to know a group of cancer battlers meeting in town cafes to share their experiences. Having the idea to rally the support for a ‘place apart’ for patients of cancer treatment in Donegal, this humble dedication of Sister Magdalene rallied support to develop a community home for patients and their carers to meet, have quiet time away from the fatigue of life battling cancer, and to get counseling if wanted.

Mum had a lot of respect for the work of The Solace as she battled the news of advanced colon cancer that summer 2019. So, it was quietly harrowing to be reflecting on what might have been going through Mum’s head during those visits, as we pulled up that Friday morning a few weeks ago.

And the visit was a lesson for me in how great services and organizations so often start with one person just doing something that gets a ball rolling – just like Elaine Schaller, who founded TeamCindy after losing her daughter Cindy to a brain aneurysm while on a training ride for a triathlon in 2007.

Dad, Sister Magdalene, Finn, Keara and Daisy and Pete  – together again for the first time since Mum died, visiting The Solace.

I’m so grateful to each of you, for being in some way motivated to open a new window, pull out a credit card, tap in those 16 digits, get the address and zip code right, and send money to these two causes that I so wanted to support.

Pre-race with Simon Longbottom, after having everything set up in the dawn light. We’re somewhat “less beefy” than we were as a 16 and 18-year old playing rugby together in the 1st XV at Epsom!

Thank you again,

 

Kevin