Dundalk Grandmother Collette ready to run 1,000th marathon
Collette O'Hagan raising funds for North Louth Hospice and Féileacáin in 1,000th run
75-year old Louth grandmother, Collette O'Hagan, is set to complete her 1,000th marathon next month in aid of North Louth Hospice, and the stillbirth and neonatal death support organisation, Féileacáin. Collette held a coffee morning last Saturday, alongside an exhibition of over 900 of her medals to fundraise for the two charities.
Despite a recent setback due to injury, the mother of five is back on track and gearing up to run October’s Dublin marathon, with her trademark purple hair, for the two charities.
North Louth Hospice is close to Collette's heart, for all the support and care it gave to her family when cancer hit her husband Larry, sister Teresa and baby grandson Charlie, who were all diagnosed within a close timeframe eight years ago. Thankfully, all three are now cancer free.
“I frankly don't know where we would be without the hospice”, said Collette, who has ten grandchildren and has fostered over 80 children. "It's not just palliative care they provide. My family received support and counselling, drivers to take them to treatments and a cup of tea with a smile in tough times. They were our hope in the midst of our worry and they kept us going.
“Little Charlie was just under one year old and needed to be brought to hospital in Dublin regularly. It was an awful time but thankfully he pulled through and is a healthy young man now.”
Looking forward to her upcoming endeavour, Collette said: “I'm going to run my 1000th marathon for the hospice, as well as the Féileacáin charity. An injury to my foot concerned me recently as I thought it would stop me reaching the 1000th milestone but thankfully, a good podiatrist has sorted me out and I'm back on track.
“I'll probably still run marathons after my 1000th as I don't want to get lazy and you can't bank fitness so I may as well keep going." “I normally drink tea but I usually have a cappuccino after every marathon because I feel there is a bit of eating and drinking in it”, she added laughing.
Collette is also encouraging everyone to register to host a coffee morning as part of Bewley’s Big Coffee Morning for Hospice. The longstanding national event, coordinated by Together for Hospice, takes place this Thursday 26 September. Together for Hospice, represents 24 Hospice and specialist palliative homecare providers supporting patients and their families across Ireland.
Funds raised locally stay local and go directly to each local Hospice. Register to host a coffee morning on Thursday, September 26 - or on a date that suits, at hospicecoffeemorning.ie or call 0818 995 996.
Photos of Collette's coffee morning last Saturday to follow.