Roscommon’s Fergal Guihen – a general nurse in Sligo General Hospital – will set off in March on a 23,000km ‘Rossie to Aussie’ charity cycle in aid of Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation and aims to reach Australia in February 2025.
Fergal (25) from Arigna, Co. Roscommon, who previously worked at St James’ Hospital and Trinity College Dublin and is now based at Sligo General Hospital’s Emergency Department, will average 100km a day taking in 25 countries and three continents along the way. He hopes to finish the trip at the iconic Sydney Opera House within 11 months.
In his spare time, Fergal is a part-time farmer, plays for St Ronan’s GAA Club and enjoys running. “A lot of my friends and colleagues are either gone or heading to Australia for two years. Instead of spending two years in Australia I thought why not cycle there as it’s a great opportunity to see the world and then spend a year in Australia.”
“This challenge is no doubt going to be the hardest thing I have ever done. The longest cycling trip I’ve done was about two weeks long, so this is certainly going to be very different but I’m very much looking forward to it. I’ll be doing most of the trip by myself, but friends will join me across Europe.”
Fergal said he is funding the trip himself and will live a very minimalistic life. “I’ll be bringing my tent and hot stove with me. I had a thought that I may as well incorporate a fundraising element into it, so I’ve chosen a charity local to me – the Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation – as I want to give back to my local community. The Foundation provides vital palliative care services to the communities of Mayo and Roscommon and my great granny benefitted from those services in Roscommon.”
Martina Quinn, CEO of Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation, said: “We’re very grateful to be one of Fergal’s chosen charities and look forward to watching him on his journey over the next 11 months and beyond.
“Fundraising efforts in Mayo and Roscommon have just been fantastic. All funds raised make a huge difference to our patients, who have life limiting illnesses, ensuring we provide the best facilities possible to both them and their families. We have our two Hospices up and running but we do need continued support to keep them going.”
Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation has been providing palliative care services to people with life limiting illnesses and their families in Mayo and Roscommon since 1993. Over the past 30 years the Palliative Care Teams have assisted in the care of over 20,000 patients and their families. Both Hospices were developed and paid for by fundraised income (a combined €15.5 million) and are a result of the great support received from the people of Mayo and Roscommon.
In 2019 the Mayo Hospice in Castlebar was completed at a cost of €9m from fundraised income, while the Roscommon Hospice was finished below the €6.3m budget. Both hospices were developed and paid for by a combined fundraised income of €15.5m and are a result of the support received from communities in Mayo and Roscommon. For further information visit www.hospice.ie/
To donate to Fergal’s challenge, click on http://www.idonate.ie/Rossie-to-Aussie
