Warrenpoint student Orla gears up for Great North Run | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

Warrenpoint student Orla gears up for Great North Run

Warrenpoint student Orla McAteer is putting her best foot forward for Guide Dogs NI.

Orla (23), who is in her final year studying Law at Queen’s University, has been inspired to take on the Great North Run on 9 September after meeting a local guide dog owner and his four-legged friend.

 

 

Speaking to Newry Times, Orla said, “I recently had the pleasure of meeting a fellow local who has a guide dog and heard about the changes the dog has made in his life.

“I chose this charity due to its life-changing work and to raise awareness for the cause.”

Starting in Newcastle upon Tyne, the challenging 13.1 mile route takes runners through the city centre cheered on by thousands of people.

Orla’s training has been going well and she hopes to complete the half marathon in two hours or under.

She added, “I have always enjoyed running and started competing at the tender age of just eight! I’ve been following a training plan consisting of a mixture of distance training and interval sessions, with some gym classes in between.

 

 

“I enjoy staying fit and find running pleasurable as there is plenty of scenery to take in where I live.”

Orla’s fundraising target is £500 and, at the last check, she had just passed the halfway mark. Third party fundraising is crucially important to the charity, as the guide dog service receives no government funding yet it costs around £56,000 to support a guide dog from birth to retirement.

Carla Smyth, Community Fundraising Development Officer at Guide Dogs NI, commented, “We’re so grateful to people like Orla who take on challenges and events to support the work we do. We wish her all the best on 9 September!”

To show your support for Orla, please visit https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/orlamcateer2.

 

 

Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=64917

Posted by on Sep 3 2018. Filed under Community. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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