Kildare businesswoman turned Ironwoman completes her mission with over €10k raised
Daragh Nolan spoke to Arianne Dunne who raised €11,290 for charity with her fundraising
After speaking with the Leinster Leader in September, Arianne Dunne was about to embark on her biggest undertaking in a remarkable year.
Arianne completed her journey from businesswoman, as Chief Operations Officer at JF Dunne Insurances, to Ironwoman in Barcelona where she completed the Ironman 70.3 challenge.
It wouldn't be Arianne’s last event of 2022 but it was the one she had been building towards and her words on social media after the fact summed it all up as she simply said “I did it.”
When all was said and done this year, Arianne completed over 192 hours of cycling, running and swimming raising an incredible €11,290 for two charities, Pieta House and Women's Aid in the process.
However, before the incredible conclusion of this adventure she spoke to us about her journey to that point.
Here is a look back at her brilliant story.
Following her first big challenge the year prior with sportives such as the Mizen to Malin challenge for Cycle Against Suicide, Arianne began her journey.
Arianne had prior experience on the bike but had not yet transitioned to the running aspect of her journey. The most exposed to the elements you will be and the biggest battle on the horizon comes between you and your mind as you pound the pavement.
“Running came into it last and it had because I had got sick of sitting on the bike. My first run I think I probably got about 50-100 metres from the office and I had to stop because I was so out of breath,” Arianne recalled.”
It has gone from that to the mental health aspect of it, it is just you and the ground. You have all those negative thoughts creeping in …“What are you doing”
“Why can't you just go home”
“You look silly doing this”
“It helped my mental resolve and taking on my first half marathon a few weeks ago was a major step, I am still baffled I got through that.” Arianne explained that the internal battle with your mind only serves to benefit your mental resolve the longer that you can win it. A sentiment that can be backed up by completion of the Breffni Half Marathon in Cavan in July.
“I have gone from thinking I looked silly running to thinking that it (running) is a nice bit of headspace. You have time with your positive thoughts, thinking that's one kilometre down you may as well keep going,” Arianne described.
In addition to her own personal satisfaction from this journey , Arianne wanted to highlight that anyone can do this for themselves, they just have to decide to do so.
“I think, just do it. I would never have thought I would have been able to do an Ironman. But through the training and different events I feel now that I am at a stage where I can give it a good go,” Arianne said.
And by god did she ever give it a good go.