Former Derry City youngster completes 48 hour fitness challenge for charity

McDermott was joined by friends Ciaron Harkin, Jack Malone, Odhran McKane and Nathan Harkin, during the challenge, but he conceded he was taken aback by the amount of people who cheered him home during the final lap at St Columb's Park on Saturday.

The former St Joseph's student decided to take up retired US navy seal and best selling author, David Goggins' challenge to run four miles every four hours for 48 hours in memory of his father Gavin and to raise money for Ward 32 in Altnagelvin Hospital as they helped his father throughout his illness.

"I saw a few people doing it on Facebook and then I decided to give it a go and posted my idea on Facebook," he stated.

"Then the next thing you know the likes of Jackie (Ciaron Harkin) and Jack Malone and few others texted me about it and they too were on board with me, which was good, because I don't think I could have done it without them.

"There were five of us who did the whole challenge, myself, Ciaron Harkin, Odhran McKane, Jack Malone and Nathan Harkin, I would be mates with all those guys for years and as I said I couldn't have done it without them.

"Over the 48 hours we had great support on social media and Jackie's videos were also good, but on Saturday at St Columb's Park I was shocked to see how many people came over to cheer us home. I was just overwhelmed."

McDermott, who currently plays for Letterkenny Rovers in the Ulster Senior League, said that he and his family will continue various challenges once the current coronavirus lockdown ends to raise funds for Ward 32.

In fact, he along with his mother Frances, sister Charley and brother Nathan still have two of their three peaks to finish and he also believed that last weekend's run with his friends certainly helped him.

"Ward 32 in Altnagelvin were great, they looked after my father in his last couple of months, so I thought it would be good to give something back to them," he explained.

"Doing the run was also something for me to keep my mind activated as there's no point sitting about during this lockdown, because your head would be gone, sitting about and doing nothing.

"Also the run meant my family could get involved as well, which was nice. On our final lap on Saturday my mother Frances and wee sister Charley and brother Nathan all ran it.

"We will hope to raise more money for Ward 32, because our original plan was as a family to walk three peak challenges, but because of the coronavirus, we only managed to do the first one, the Stairway to Heaven on the Cuilcagh Mountain in Fermanagh. We were supposed to do Croagh Patrick, but because of the lockdown we haven't been able to do it and that was another reason why I did that 48 hour challenge and that would also help us get a wee bit more money in for Ward 32.

"We still have another two walks to do and after our final walk and when we count all the money, then we'll make a presentation to Ward 32. To be honest we can't wait to do the walks because it's the whole family and friends."

Anybody still looking to donate please send it to Rhys' paypal at [email protected].

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