Well, well, well... would you look what the cat's dragged in!
Its'a me, Mario!!! Numerous years have passed by, and not a blog post to be seen!
Until now...
I've decided to re-start/re-visit this blog to chronicle the next 9 months of my life! No I'm not pregnant... If you haven't seen by now the spam during the month on my Insta, then you wouldn't know this - I've signed up to take part in a cross-country cycle this coming September, all in aid of cancer research here in Ireland.
Yes, I know I've lost my mind! And yes, I do know what I'm doing!

Hear me out. On New Years Day 2014, a documentary about an inspiring and strong 16 year old man named Donal Walsh was shown on our national tv station. Donal came to prominence in spring of 2013 for his open letter to the youth of Ireland about their suicidal views and to basically let them know that it didn't have to be like that, that they all have a choice to live and they were making the wrong choices. Donal admitted in that letter that he was angry at the Irish youth who were choosing that path as he himself didn't have that choice - after fighting it twice before and now on his third battle, Donal was dying of terminal cancer.

“I feel angry that these people choose to take their life to ruin their family and to leave behind a mess that no one can clean up while here I am with no choice in my sentence, trying as best I can to prepare my family and friends for what’s about to come and to leave as little mess as possible.”

He was interviewed on the Saturday Night show not long after word spread of his letter, and his segment brought me to tears, on more than one occasion.  Donal lost his battle with cancer in May 2013, and the entire town of Tralee, Co Kerry turned out to bid him goodbye on his final journey. I myself would have travelled the 90 mins to the funeral but I was scheduled to work and alas couldn't swap my days. I tuned into that documentary, and once again I was brought to tears by the words that Donal's close family and friends spoke about him.
It was in this documentary that I found out that Donal, along with his father, took part in a stage of a cycle that was going through Kerry. He had a prosthetic knee and 2/3 lung capacity, but he managed to complete the stage he chose to cycle. Here is a lad who is insanely sick cycling over a mountain for charity, yet i whinge about having to walk the short distance to the local post office and chose to drive it. Something clicked with me inside. I don't know what possessed me, but the next morning, Jan 2, 2014, I registered to take part in the cycle that Donal took part in.

C.R.O.S.S Rugby Legends hold a cycle to help raise money for cancer research here. Although the Donal Walsh docu was the kick up the behind nudge I needed, I had toyed previously with fundraising ideas to help raise money for a local cancer hospice. Unfortunately, like most people, my family has been touched by cancer on more than one occasion, most recently my Liverpool-supporting Army-camo obsessed uncle on my father's side (recently started chemo for mouth cancer).  I had decided that 2014 was going to be a year to get in shape, (yes I know, the most original of NYR's) but by registering for this cycle, I will/am going to do this. My training started a fortnight ago, just walking and  planking atm, but it's something. I'm the greatest in the world for stating 'I'll do it tomorrow!' 'I'll start monday!' 'I'll join up next week!!', enough was enough! I'm proud of myself for doing what I've said I'll do! I'm more active, my diet is alot better (but shall improve more as time goes by) and I've got my fundraising page set up and I'm raising money, slowly but surely!

I hope that over the coming months, I get support from you the readers, my family and friends, and from my work colleagues, because lord know's I'm going to need it!!! Now, if someone could please request Ryan Gosling to be in Donegal Sept 12...