A teenager from the Isle of Man, Jake Hodgson (14), will be pushing himself to the limit as he takes part in a solo 290km Galway-Dublin cycle to set the wheels in motion for an ambitious 3-Country Challenge to raise awareness and much-needed funds for The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and Alzheimer’s Societies in the UK and Dementia Care at Isle of Man Hospice, which Jake is an ambassador for. Jake, who is looking to raise €18,000, will cycle across Ireland, run 20km across the Isle of Man and walk 305km across England (over 600km in total) in just 12 days starting at 5.00am on Thursday, 2nd April with a 290km cycle from Lettermullen in Co Galway to Dublin. Jake will cycle through the night to arrive in the capital on Friday, 3rd April.
Jake, who has raise over €2,200 so far, hopes to finish the entire challenge 12 days later (including travel between each country) at Robin Hood Bay, East coast of England. The teenager will be joined by friends and family members, including his Dad Craig and Mum Lisa, along the way and he is encouraging others to follow his progress on social media or make a donation online. In 2009, when Jake was just four years old, he sadly lost his Grandad to cancer which devastated Jake, especially as he was very close to his Grandad. As Jake loves the outdoors and especially walking, he was then inspired to raise money for charity while walking and since at the age of just 13 he has raised thousands for a local hospice, by walking 102 mile around the coast of the Isle of Man in just 34 hours and 207 miles across the width of England in 69 hours over nine days. All the money raised from his 3-Country Challenge will be split evenly between The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and the Alzheimer Societies in the UK and Dementia Care at Isle of Man Hospice.
Follow Jack’s progress on Facebook Or donate on the Just Giving page.
14-year-old Jake Hodgson said: “I don’t have any personal connection with Alzheimer’s or dementia with family, but I am aware that it is something that any of us can be affected by in life, so I would like to help others that are having to live with Alzheimer’s or dementia in whatever way I can, as one day it could be myself that also needs the help! I only have the easy part to do by just putting one foot in front of the other and keep going forwards, sadly its people with dementia, their family and friends that are in pain, so the least I – and we all – can do, is to help them in some way.” “I am doing this to raise awareness of dementia and to also raise funds for The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and other charities such as Alzheimer’s UK and Dementia care at Isle of Man Hospice. The generosity and support that I have received so far from family, friends, colleagues and members of the public has been fantastic, but I am some way off yet reaching my target amount. So would like to ask everyone for whatever support they can give me, by donating to these very worthy charities.”
