County Derry man to take on ‘biggest challenge to date’ in memory of dad

A County Derry man is preparing to run a 100km ultramarathon in Scotland to raise awareness and funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

Emmett O’Hara will take on his biggest challenge to date when he participates in Ultra Scotland on June 7.

The Craigbane man says the run will ‘test me like I’ve never been tested before’ as he is set to follow one of Scotland’s great trails, the breathtaking Southern Upland Way.

Emmett decided to take on the challenge in memory of his late father, Dominic, who passed away three years ago.

The 27 year-old chose the MND Association as the beneficiary as it is a charity close to his heart.

“Three years have passed since I lost my dad to Motor Neurone Disease and life has changed massively, coming to terms with the indescribable loss, mentally and emotionally has been very hard, to say the least,” he explained.

“But there is light after grief which makes life worth living, without someone I thought I couldn’t live without.

“The MND Association provides so many essential services to people with MND including wheelchair services, financial support grants for carers, voice banking, communication aids and the MND connect helpline.”

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Emmett, who works as a teacher and coach in Liverpool, where he now lives, helped to raise £30,000 for the same charity following his father’s death.

At the time he ran ten half marathons in ten days and following the success of that fundraiser, he wanted to ‘do one more thing for the charity’.

Emmett has been busy training for the upcoming ultra run and in recent months he has participated in the Liverpool and Aintree half marathons and the Manchester trail marathon.

“These have been mini goals I have set myself to complete in the build up to the Ultra,” he said.

“I have been running almost every week since I announced the fundraiser in December, I must be running 130 or 140km a week since then.”

The Craigbane native has been busy training for the upcoming challenge.

Emmett hopes to complete the Ultra event in ten to 12 hours and as the date fast approaches he is hoping to reach his fundraising target of £5,000.

“I am nervous now as it is a month away but after about 65km I would say it’ll be my demons that will get me through then,” he laughed.

“Every contribution is going to help people diagnosed with this disease. I want them and their families to be supported as best as possible, with services that my family would have been grateful for, to hopefully make living with MND just a little bit easier.”

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