My name is Mary Lenehan I am 25 years old I am from Moneygold, Grange, County Sligo. I work for Cara Allcare pharmacy.

I have 10 nephews and nieces and I have 5 sisters and 2 brothers. Unfortunately one of my brothers passed 16 years ago to suicide on the 12th of December. 

The tragedy we went through broke our hearts as James was only 16 years old. I can’t imagine how my parents felt to lose a child. 

This will be my first time to enter the Vhi Women’s Mini Marathon but I regularly train train in the BMS gym.

What I love most about this event is that no matter how inexperienced you are with your fitness no one is there to judge you and you can do this event at your own pace and take as much time as you need to finish the course. I myself will be walking it along with my mum and younger sister.

What inspires me to take part this year is my family circle.  They are always inspiring me to do better and to better myself. I am also doing this walk in aid for the Irish Heart Foundation who look after people who have been affected by heart disease and stroke, as my dad passed away suddenly on the 30th of December 2021 (which happens to be my birthday). I feel that even though it was a very sudden and devastating moment in my life I feel I have a special Bond with my dad. 

How I plan to spread a bit of my magic is by being positive and showing people you are strong and a warrior, like how my mum has shown in the past few months how strong we can all be. 

Yes I am taking part for the Irish Heart Foundation I am also running a charity event for the Irish Heart Foundation by walking/ jogging 10,000 steps every day for the month of April. 

I want to show ladies out there that if we work together and stand strong we can build ourselves back up to positive people and make a difference to someone else who may be going through the same thing you are. 

The advice I would give would be take a chance and try it.  As I have mentioned this is my first year and I am so excited. I will be taken it at my pace and speed and hopefully build up my pace in the coming years. 

The best piece of training advice I have been given is to take each day as it comes.  Start by small steps and build them up.