Two Co Tyrone rugby players have completed a gruelling challenge around the Mournes in order to raise funds for families affected by dementia.
Lester Weir from Aughnacloy and David Sharkey from Fivemiletown carried a rowing machine around the Mourne Mountain wall, and completed a marathon each on the rowing machine during the challenge. It took the fitness fanatics over 17 hours to complete the challenge last Saturday.
Both men play rugby for the Clogher Valley RFC. David told Belfast Live his grandfather has been affected by dementia, while Lester’s dad has also been diagnosed with the disease.
“It’s not easy. My grandfather’s dementia has got progressively worse as time has gone on,” David said.
“He needs specialist care that usas a family just aren’t able to give him. It’s hard because as a family member you’re more inclined to let him do certain things even though you know he shouldn’t be.
“We had to stay with him at night because his concept of time wasn’t right, he might get up in the middle of the night thinking it was daytime. It took a lot out of everybody.
“He has his good days and his bad days. As there’s no cure for dementia we can only help and comfort him as best we can.”
David added the challenge was something himself and Lester wanted to do to raise awareness of the work of Dementia NI, as well as raising funds for Macmillan Cancer.
“We’ve done a few things in the past and we both enjoy going up around the Mournes. I was just thinking about what we can do and I was sitting on a rowing machine and it just came to me.
“I originally had said we would row a marathon between us but then we decided to do one each, so that’s how that came about.
“It was tough going, there’s no point saying it wasn’t but we just kept plodding on and got it done.
“Dementia NI do a lot of work getting carers in and helping families like ours dealing with dementia, and we’re so grateful for that. We’ve seen first hand how they’ve helped our family.”
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