Westport women ready to WOW for charity

Seventeen women from Westport’s Covey Wheelers and Westport Triathlon Club are taking on a huge challenge for charity – a 605-kilometre cycle from Mizen to Malin head.
The group of women, named Westport WOW (Women on Wheels), will hit the road on September 3 for four back-to-back days of cycling.
All funds raised through the challenge will be donated to Mayo Roscommon Hospice and Mayo Rape Crisis.
Speaking to The Mayo News, participant Gráinne Kennedy said while there were many charities the group wished to donate to, these two connected to the group most.
“We wanted something that’s women based because of the women cycling, so that’s how we chose Mayo Rape Crisis centre, and the Mayo Roscommon Hospice has touched a lot of peoples hearts in the group so we decided to give them something as well,” she explained.

Challenge of a lifetime
The idea for the cycle came about after Colette Sweeney of Westport Leisure Centre decided to take on the Mizen to Malin challenge.
“She put the word out to a few people from the two clubs. I’m part of the Westport Covey Wheelers, and some of the other girls are part of the Westport Triathlon Club. So with the two clubs together, Colette contacted all the women to see who would be interested in taking on the challenge, and we had a meeting. We just came together and said we’d love to do it. The agreement is anybody who is taking on the cycle has to be a member of either one of the clubs in Westport,” Gráinne said.
A sense of community quickly formed when the women from both clubs combined. They now meet two or three times a week to cycle together.
“A lot of the ladies have done other cycles like the Ring of Clare, the Sligo Gran Fondo and the Tour de Conamara, and we’re doing the Ballina Salmon Sportif this upcoming Sunday,” she added. “When you’re part of a club, and you all come together, it brings the community together as well.”

Sponsors needed
While donations are needed and appreciated, sponsorship is also a huge factor for the group.
“We have an iDonate page up and running, but we are looking for sponsors from businesses to come on board and help us with our costs. We have got some already and I would just like to thank those businesses and individuals,” Gráinne explained.
Mayo companies are already coming on board, with PortWest providing the group with jerseys, while Major Equipment and Efficient Farm Systems (EFS) sponsoring gilets for the WOWs.
With a lot of equipment and checks needed ahead of the cycle’s commencement, the costs rack up easily.
“You have to make sure your bike is serviced and roadworthy for cycling in a group. Anything can happen, and you’re responsible for your own bike. We have to get spare tires, tubes… you might have to get a new chain. We have two support cars coming with us as well, two of the ladies’ husbands are coming in case we have technical difficulties,” continued the Westport woman.
The group will arrive in Cork’s Mizen Head on Tuesday evening, September 3, from where they will cycle over 26 kilometres that evening to Schull, their destination for the night.
On Wednesday, September 4, the WOWs will start the big journey to Donegal’s Malin. They will travel over 147 kilometres from Schull to Charleville, and then another 157 kilometres from Charleville to Athlone.
From Athlone, the cyclists will head north to Enniskillen, a 126-kilometre trek. Finally, the group will leave Enniskillen and undertake a 147-kilometer journey to Malin.

Learning curves
A cycle so intense comes with mental and physical challenges, something Gráinne said is hard to keep up with the demanding training while working.
“It’s tiring. We are doing back-to-back days. We’re up early in the mornings. We’re trying to get our long cycles done early because of the traffic on the road… [and] we’re all still trying to work, keep families going,” she added.
“Nutrition is a big thing. We’re all eating a lot of protein now at the minute, trying to fuel the body as much as we can. It’s all a learning curve.”
If you see the WOWs cycling on the roads of Mayo, preparing for their epic 605-kilometre journey, give them a wave and a bit of encouragement. Better still, head to their iDonate page and give them a few bob – the women and the charities they represent will be forever grateful.

For more information or to sponsor the group, please contact Gráinne Kennedy on 087 760 8916. To donate, see Westport WOW’s iDonate page, https://www.idonate.ie/event/wowm2m.