Canfranc Canfranc Aware Challenge

Last September I set out to complete the Canfranc Canfranc Challenge in aid of Aware, a national mental health charity in Ireland providing support services to those experiencing depression.  The event itself consists of running 45km across four of the peaks in the Pyrennes Mountains on the Spanish-French border.  It’s one of the rising events on the European trail running circuit and usually attributed with some of the best views of the racing calendar.   

Unexpectedly, though, approaching the first peak saw temperatures of – 4 degrees (celsius) and the second peak wasn’t much warmer, so not much of a panorama amidst a foggy and sometimes snowy white out!   

That said, as mad as it sounds, it was still a fantastic event where after 10 hours 52 minutes I was delighted to cross the line for a very welcome hot dinner!  A large part of my sense of achievement was undoubtedly knowing I was contributing to a charity where I’ve seen its positive impact on others. As a charity, Aware provide a wide variety of support, information and education services from support lines and groups to mental health programmes helping those going through tough times in their lives 

And, of course, I am very grateful for the support of McKesson and the team in Cork who generously supported the fundraising where I was pleased to sign over a cheque of €3,900 to Aware.  Your generosity will help make a real difference to people when they may need it most.  A huge thank you to all!