Wexford women cycle against suicide and raise €2,500 for charity

Simon Bourke

Mon 6 May 2024 at 05:00

A pair of seasoned Wexford cyclists have helped raise more than €2,500 for a mental health charity at a special event in the Bullring. Sue Karran and Phil Lynch are both members of the Wexford Wheelers and the Wexford Soroptimists, and they organised two spin bikes for their Cycle Against Suicide fundraiser.

Leading the way, Sue and Phil got the bikes warmed up before passing the baton on to other members of the team for an event which raised more than €2,500 for a charity which provides education, resources, and support which empower individuals to navigate and overcome mental health challenges.

Caroline Lafferty, chief executive officer of Cycle Against Suicide, said the funds raised will go “towards a programme we are co-creating with UCD to educate and support parents in helping their children through recovery from mental illness. Once curated, this Cycle Against Suicide programme will be freely available to all parents."

Commending the people of Wexford for their incredible generosity, Phil said it was important to support a charity which helped so many people across the county.

“Mental health is an issue that touches the lives of countless individuals and families in our communities,” she said. “It knows no boundaries and can affect anyone at any stage, regardless of age, gender or background.”

While a few hours on a spin bike can tire even the most dedicated of cyclists, it is nothing compared to Sue and Phil’s next challenge. From May 26-31 the pair will be cycling the length of Portugal (approximately 750km) to raise funds for Cycle Against Suicide.

"Cycling the length of Portugal will be an enormous challenge for Sue and me, but we are delighted to support Cycle Against Suicide as mental health issues have touched many of us, and if we can help in any small way, hopefully, this saves lives and breaks the stigma of mental health,” Phil said.