Waterford Airport Team raise €4,500 in the Focus Ireland Four Peaks Challenge

Taking a breather’ pictured on the top of Mweelrea, Co Mayo on Saturday morning the Waterford Airport climber team (L-R) Stuart Timpson, John Crowley, Freda Cusack, James O’Sullivan and Emma Hannon. The team completed the challenge in 12 hours and 8 minutes..

A team of employees from Waterford Airport has raised €4,500 for Focus Ireland by putting themselves through the gruelling task of climbing the 4 highest peaks in each of Ireland’s provinces in one weekend.

More than 500 mountaineering enthusiasts from all over Ireland took part in the annual Four Peaks Challenge last weekend, raising funds for the housing and homeless charity Focus Ireland. More than €400,000 was raised for the charity when eighty teams scaled the highest mountains in each of the four provinces within 36 hours.

The challenge began on Friday afternoon scaling up Carrauntoohil in Co Kerry, Ireland’s highest peak.  The team then drove on to climb Mweelrea in Co Mayo on Saturday and after the tough second climb, the teams drove on to County Down to prepare for an early start of 6am on Slieve Donard. The final ascend of the challenge was Lugnaquilla in the Glen of Imaal Co Wicklow.

The team which consisted of two drivers, Peter Ackerman and Martin O’Brien and five climbers Stuart Timpson, John Crowley, Freda Cusack, James O’Sullivan and Emma Hannon intensively trained for the last six months in preparation for the challenge. The challenge was completed by the Waterford Airport team in an impressive 12 hours and 8 minutes.

Commenting on their participation in the event, John Crowley at Waterford Airport said, “It was a tough challenge but we had all prepared ourselves for it and were delighted to be putting our effort in for such a great cause, I would definitely encourage others to signs up for the challenge when it comes up again in September.”

Graham Doyle, Waterford Airport CEO, said “I’m very proud of the airport’s people taking part in such a worthwhile and challenging event – they put in a lot of time and effort over a long period of training.”

The team would like to thank all sponsors for helping them to achieve their goal. Waterford Airport, International Academy of Travel, The Pilot Training College, South Coast Helicopters, Shamrock aviation, Dawn Meats, Richard Strudwick and M&J cleaners, and all individual sponsors.

All monies raised go to the Focus Ireland housing and homeless charity.

Pictured at the foot of Lugnaquilla with the Focus Ireland representatives having completed the 4 Peaks Challenge is the Waterford Airport Team, back L-R Martin O’Brien, John Crowley, James O’Sullivan and Peter Ackerman, front L- R Stuart Timpson, Emma Hannon and Freda Cusack. The team completed the challenge in 12 hours and 8 minutes and raised €4,500 for Focus Ireland.

June 2008