St. Luke's Run - 18 June 2017

Me as the "Flying Doctor" with the pack in the good days.

The St Luke's bike run is an annual event that I am proud to say I've taken part in for the last 10 years. It was started off by a very special friend of mine, Loretta, after her own cancer diagnosis. So far, she has over 1 million euro raised for the St Luke's Cancer hospital in Dublin.

In happier times... with mammy2 on the left and Loretta on the right.

It's people like Loretta that have given me the inspiration and courage that I need to walk my own cancer journey. Turning something as soul-destroying as cancer into something positive is no easy feat!  Little did I know when I first joined those bikers one June morning many years ago, that I would end up a cancer patient myself.

I've been proudly riding along with them every mile of the way as their medic since that very first day I joined in 2010. However, this year - 2017 - I couldn't. Instead, the bikers came to Galway to stop off and say hello! It was strange at first hearing the roar of the bikes coming up the street towards Eyre Square. Usually, I would feel goosebumps at the sound! The steadily rising roar and thud of the engines - from cruisers to sports bikes and everything in between! It's an incredible sound and even more incredible being a part of the pack! This year though, it was just tears stinging my eyes that I felt. Tears of sadness that I couldn't ride with them... tears of fear and grief wondering if I would ever ride with them again... and tears of love knowing that they were all stopping off here in Galway for me...x

One by one, they all parked up and came over to hug me. The love, the encouragement, the laughs... they made me smile! Not my often used "mask" smile, but a real smile! There,s a brother/sisterhood amongst bikers... a respect, a bond that joins us all together regardless of where we come from or what we work at... We're all equal. We're all in this together! We never leave a brother or sister behind!

It takes a certain type of person to get on top of a metal tank full of highly flammable fuel and tear down the road at 60mph! Some people call us mad! Maybe we are. But I can tell you that the friends I've made through biking are the most loyal, loving, supportive and encouraging bunch of people I've ever met!

An Emotional Reunion

After a lovely catch up, we had a group photo taken as Aidan presented me with a lovely gift. Then, it was time for them to go. It was very emotional and as they rode off and that lovely sound, that steady, deep roar of the engines faded away slowly.

Here are just a few photos of the day...

The Paramedics and Red Cross who volunteer in the ambulances

Mary and Kevina - the"Drinkin' Buddies"