A Co Tyrone man is to take on a gruelling running challenge from Coalisland to Derry in order to raise funds in memory of his uncle, who passed away from cancer last year.
Dwayne Symington will take on the 55 mile run on Saturday March 12, the equivalent of more than two marathons back to back.
It’s all in memory of his uncle Dessie, who he says was not only a beacon of his family but also the wider Coalisland community.
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After taking on another running challenge a year and half ago, Dwayne toyed with the idea of doing a run from Coalisland to Derry, when his uncle was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
“He was massive around the town, he was so well-known,” Dwayne said of Dessie.
“The time Dennis Taylor won the world championship, Dessie was instrumental in the homecoming for him.
“Everybody in this town knows him so well and he left a massive hole not only in our family but in the community.
“I feel obligated that I have to do this for him, but after he passed away it was more than just doing it for charity.
“I felt that I could see the pain and suffering that my family was having, they were having a bad time of grief.
“So I decided to take it and turn it into something positive, and the simplest way I could put it is if I’m able to put a smile on my nanny’s face for two hours then it’s worth it.
Dwayne has now raised £1,000 ahead of Saturday’s challenge, with the funds going to local youth club Ogras in Coalisland and another charity helping people in Africa.
“His diagnosis was terminal so I thought this was something he could focus on and be positive about it.
“I asked him to tell me where he wanted the money to go to, and he said he wanted it to go to Africa.
“I’m going to give half to the Ogras youth club here in Coalisland and the other half will go to our chosen African charity.
“I’m hoping to have it finished within 12 to 14 hours. It’s a difficult thing to say at this stage because it’s so long and there are a lot of unknowns.
“You don’t know how the legs are going to react or what the weather’s going to be.
“I’m just trying to do something that people can find some kind of solace or hope in.”
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