Press release -
Liverpool resident completes three gruelling triathlons for the Stroke Association
An engineer from Liverpool successfully completed three triathlons in less than eight hours, raising over £1,000 for the Stroke Association.
Murraigh McDonald, 41, was inspired to take on three triathlons for the charity after his grandmother, Maura McDonald, had a severe stroke when she was 78 years old. Despite the dedication of her close family, 10 years after her stroke, Maura sadly passed away.
Murraigh’s first triathlon took place on Sunday 26 June 2016 at Cholmondeley Castle, Cheshire and the second and third, which took place over the same weekend, were held in Anglesey. In total, Murraigh completed a 2200m swim, 129km bike ride and running distance of 23km.
Murraigh said: “My first triathlon in Cholmondeley Castle was great. Everything went to plan and I crossed the finish line five minutes under my target time. The second and third triathlons in Anglesey were a real test. Sunday brought choppy sea, wind and some mean sand dunes, which made every element of the event a real challenge.
“My lovely neighbour has also just lost her husband after he had a stroke. His battle was relatively short, but it came as a timely reminder of the impact stroke has on people’s lives. The emotional impact as well as the physical disabilities caused by stroke, really do take their toll. I know that my fundraising efforts will make some difference to people in the same situation, and maybe even help to prevent a family going through such a difficult time.
“I've learned a lot about myself this year, but mostly I've realised how incredibly generous people can be. I'm overwhelmed to have raised over £1,000 for the Stroke Association. To know that we've changed some people's lives is great feeling.”
Mikaela Leape, Regional Fundraiser at the Stroke Association, said: “With around 152,000 strokes a year in the UK – that’s around one every three and a half minutes - it is vital that we have people who can raise funds for people affected by stroke. We’re incredibly grateful to Murraigh for taking on this gruelling challenge.”
It’s not too late to sponsor Murraigh: visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Murraigh-McDonald for more details.
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A stroke is a brain attack which happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off, caused by a clot or bleeding in the brain. There are around 152,000 strokes in the UK every year and it is one of the largest causes of disability. There are over 1.2 million people in the UK living with the effects of stroke.
Stroke Association is a charity. We believe in life after stroke and together we can conquer stroke. We work directly with stroke survivors and their families and carers, with health and social care professionals and with scientists and researchers. We campaign to improve stroke care and support people to make the best recovery they can. We fund research to develop new treatments and ways of preventing stroke. The Stroke Helpline (0303 303 3100) provides information and support on stroke. More information can be found at www.stroke.org.uk
