Portumna Cycling Club will hold a fundraising event next month in aid of local woman Olive (Dermody ) Shaughnessy, with a series of cycle routes to suit all ages and abilities.
The Olive Aughty Cycle on Sunday August 9 features a fun 15km family cycle with refreshments along the way. More experienced and adventurous cyclists can take part in a 50k or 100k scenic route around the Sliabh Aughty Mountains. This event promotes healthy recreation and will help in some way to financially support Ms Shaughnessy and her husband Tom and four children as they deal with the reality of life threatening cancer and the impact on their lives.
The journey through a harsh cancer diagnosis, a long road of treatment, giving up work due to illness, and a community response of kindness, compassion, and support is a story many in Ireland hear on a day to day basis.
Olive decided on her treatment bed after a seven-hour long surgery to turn this negative situation into a positive and started blogging about her experience. She shares inspiring messages to help others on this difficult road, helping others find the courage and words to tell their children, family, and friends, and encouraging people to understand that in life we all have choices. The choices may appear limited when faced with a shocking diagnosis but the choosing is in the ability to react positively or negatively.
Olive promotes a positive mental attitude to help her deal with all she encounters on this journey. Her top tips are:
Use your time wisely: Focus on what really matters in order to achieve balance, fulfilment, and greater understanding in your life.
Treasure your relationship not your possessions: Treasure your partner, children, and friends. They bring happiness and stability into your life.
Do not be too hard on yourself: Love yourself unconditionally. Be happy in your own skin, it is the only skin you are getting.
Love others unconditionally: Do not spoil it by imposing conditions. Treat others the way you would like to be treated.
Love, live life in the moment: Be yourself, it is for other people to choose if they accept you or not. It is really none of your business of what others think of you.
Keep your life simple: Keep a positive attitude, try to view things from all angles. As Dr Wayne Dyer said, “Change the way you look at things and the things you look at will change.”
Registration for the Olive Aughty Cycle will take place in Portumna on the morning of Sunday August 9 at 8am in the Engine Room, Portumna. For more information about this event check out Portumna Cycling Club on Facebook and share with friends and family. If you would like to make a donation contact Adrian on 083 1474734.
