ON HOLD: Daithi and Paddy pictured in Sydney.

ON HOLD: Daithi and Paddy pictured in Sydney.


Kieran Foley
Two local men have postponed their global fundraising adventure due to the rapid spread of Covid-19 and the subsequent travel restrictions which have been implemented.
Paddy Flynn from Rathgormack and Daithí Harrison from Carrick-On-Suir kicked off their epic journey entitled ‘of Mountains and Men’ in Australia last summer.
They decided to cycle from Sydney to Ireland to raise money for Children’s Medical & Research Foundation (CMRF) Crumlin and the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation.
Not content with cycling, both men decided they would complete an ultra-marathon in each of the 28 countries which they visit along the way.
“So many times we get caught up in our day to day lives and forget just how lucky we are to be healthy,” they said when outlining their decision to embark on the challenge.
“We want to inspire kids and adults alike to reach their potential. However some kids are faced with mountains of their own to climb from a very young age.”
They began their journey outside Sydney’s Children’s Hospital, Randwick in early August and travelled across Australia to Perth.
Next, they boarded a flight to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and travelled through parts of South-East Asia.
Paddy and Daithi had been charting their journey through the use of their social media accounts and their challenge had attracted significant interest.
Their journey has already brought them to locations such as the Nullarbor Plain in Australia; sites related to the Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge era in Cambodia; the Mekong Delta in Vietnam; and Chaing Mai in Thailand.
However, like many events and fundraisers throughout the world, their quest has been scuppered by the outbreak and rapid spread of Covid-19.
Paddy and Daithi were in India when they decided to postpone their trip due to the pandemic.
Sharing a video with their followers, they said: “In view of the current situation with Covid-19 and all the restrictions in place between countries, we have made the decision to suspend our trip until the virus has been contained and all borders have reopened.”
The duo departed Siliguri, India to travel back to Ireland but hope to return to their challenge in the near future.
“When the virus has been contained, and travel restrictions lifted, we will fly back to Siliguri and finish what we set out to do. Thank you all the support to date. We look forward to getting back on the road as soon as possible and sharing the rest of the journey with you. For now, it is what it is!”