THIS week, hundreds of people all across Fermanagh have been pulling on the cycling shorts and the running shoes to take part in a ’31 Day Challenge for Frankie’.
Last August, Shane and Sinead Goan from Irvinestown, suffered a terrible loss as their baby Frankie passed away and this year, they have decided to mark his anniversary by doing a fundraiser in his memory.
During the month of August, Shane will do 58 press-ups and Sinead will run three miles every day, the target number very special to the Goan family.
Former Fermanagh GAA star Shane recalls the initial conversation with his wife that led them to come up with the ’31 Day Challenge for Frankie’ and he is very happy that they went ahead with this idea now when they see the massive reaction they have received.
“Myself and Sinead had been hoping to do a fundraiser to mark Frankie’s first birthday on the 10th of August but with Covid-19 it left us very limited to what we could do. So on the last day of July, Sinead was out for a run and it just came in to her head and she rang me and I thought it was a great idea because anyone could take part,” he said.
The idea is that when someone takes part in this challenge, they are to post a photo of themselves doing the activity on a special Facebook page set up by the Goan family and, if possible, give a small donation to a chosen charity in memory of Frankie.
Reflecting on how the initiative has taken off, Shane is taken aback by the mass response they have got for people all across the county and he is very thankful to everyone that is helping to remember Frankie in this very special way.
“We honestly never thought that we would get this response. It has been fantastic to see everyone’s posts of support on Facebook and to see Frankie’s name written in so many different places means so much to us,” added Shane.
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