Determined Liz Fenton was happy to cross the finish line in the gruelling 170km Ring of Kerry Cycle on Saturday, braving wind and rain in the process, but her day didn’t end there – not by a long shot.
After a brief rest and a change of clothes, she set out to conquer Ireland’s highest mountain, Carrauntoohil, inspired by her friend, Niall Kennedy who undergoes nightly kidney dialysis.
The journey undertaken by Liz, from Muingaphuca, was nothing short of extraordinary. She set out on her journey from Killarney at 5.40am and wheeled back into town almost nine hours later at 2.30pm. She then made her way to the mountain base Cronin’s Yard to commence the 1,039m Carrauntoohil climb up Devil’s Ladder at 4.00pm.
Liz was guided by her experienced mountaineering friends, Martin McMahon from Tralee and Marguerite Brosnan from Killorglin, and they reached the summit at exactly 6.00pm.
The mother of two had cycled the Ring of Kerry many years before but had not cycled since so she joined her local Killorglin Cycling Club to prepare for the event.
Liz’s inspiration to undertake the challenge and raise funds for the Irish Kidney Association was her long-time friend and former colleague, Niall Kennedy, a nurse and married father of three, who faces the daily challenges of dialysis.
Motivated by his strength and resilience, she decided to participate in the event after seeing a Facebook post about the Ring of Kerry charity cycle.
Despite her concerns about the weather, former nurse Liz, who has been working in administration in the Bon Secours Hospital in Tralee since after Covid, had been training hard in the weeks leading up to the event.
“I used to enjoy hillwalking and hiking but raising children, work and life got in the way for several years so I only returned to it in the past couple of years ago when I joined Laune Mountaineering Club in Killorglin. I love it and enjoy being outdoors, nature and climbing with friends.”
She said the challenge was tough but thinking about her friend, Niall, kept her going.
“If he can face his challenges with such bravery then I can push through 170km kilometres and climb a mountain,” she said.
If people would like to donate to this important cause, they can do so on the iDonate platform by searching for Liz Fenton 226 https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/LizFenton226.
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