The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
BRÍD MacNamara and Clare Camogie’s officers clocked up one million steps between them during the month of July, writes Ivan Smyth.
The fundraiser was run for Clare Camogie with PRO Brid completing over 640,000 steps during the month as she visited all 26 camogie clubs in the county. She also put her best foot forward during her lunch break and at any available opportunity.
Brid admits her body is sore after completing the challenge and that it was challenging to find the time every day to clock up the steps as she averaged over 20,000 steps per day during the month of July. She believes the help of her fellow county board members was invaluable.
“My body is holding up ok at this point. My legs are very sore and my feet are too. It was challenging to fit in the walking every day if you factor in inter county games on work days and then we had minor and U16 games too while visiting all the clubs in the county too. It was a group effort with all our officers contributing. Anne McNamara was a superb support for me throughout the month with everybody doing their bit to help.”
Joe O’Donnell, Ann Sanz, Caroline Rynne, Billy Murphy, Ann McNamara, Ann Marie McGann, Evelyn O’Brien, Jim Kenny, Aideen McCormack all played their part and clocked up the steps to help Clare Camogie’s county board complete one million steps.
When asked what the most challenging part of the challenge was, Brid does not hesitate in her answer: the Irish weather. During July the country experienced days of downpours while also encountering a 10 day spell which brought about a heatwave. The Clare Camogie PRO acknowledges that she couldn’t prepare for the sudden change from rain to almost 30 degree heat.
“The weather made it very difficult to walk. When you are experiencing 28 and 29 degree heat for over a week it’s very tough and energy sapping. When I was walking in Corofin it was monsoon like conditions and then a few days later I was walking in 28 degree heat. Last year for our fundraiser (Clare Camogie to Croker and Back) we had a rain warning while this year we had a heat warning.”
Brid started in Inagh/Kilnamona as she visited every club in the county while she finished the challenge in Ruan on Tuesday, after a bereavement meant the walk planned for last Friday had to be cancelled. The club officers hit their target of a million steps during the month of July before Brid ventured to Ruan Camogie Club.
She is keen to thank the camogie clubs who welcomed her and walked alongside her throughout.
“The support was fantastic. I was in Crusheen near the end of the challenge and they gave me a massive welcome and even started chanting my name. There was every age group chanting ‘Brid’.
Something like that gives you a huge boost. I was on the final few days of the challenge and it was just a lovely touch from them. The support was a big help in getting me through especially during the final few days.”
