Engineer at Tipperary's MSD plant to cycle 500km in a day for dementia charity

Cycling 500km from Ireland's north coast to its south coast is an epic feat for any athlete but 32-year-old John Dowley has set himself the even more Herculean challenge of completing the journey in 24 hours to raise funds for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.

The engineer from Ballinafina, Rathgormack near Carrick-on-Suir is busy training and fundraising in preparation for his marathon cycle from the Giant’s Causeway on the Antrim coast to the promenade in Tramore, Waterford. He will depart from the Giant’s Causeway at 11am on Saturday, May 30.

He is taking on the challenge to raise public awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia and in memory of his grandfathers Johnny Dowley from Kennedy Terrace, Carrick-on-Suir and Jim McGrath from Collins Park, Carrick-on-Suir who both suffered from dementia.

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John, who works at the MSD plant at Ballydine, Kilsheelan, says he saw how ferociously dementia impacted his grandads and how much it affected his own parents in witnessing their fathers’ memories and connection with loved ones gradually deteriorate.

A number of people have offered to accompany him on the cycle but he has resolved to complete it solo to symbolise the loneliness and isolation felt by people living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

“The whole reason I want to do it on my own is to understand, to a certain degree, the disease itself.

“Dementia doesn’t just steal memories, it can steal connection, independence, and the feeling of not being alone in the world. Riding solo is my way of showing how lonely that journey can feel for so many.”

John is an accomplished cyclist who won the 100km race in the L’Etape Ireland Cycle that started and finished in Carrick-on-Suir last September and attracted close to 1,300 cyclists.

He did a lot of cycle racing when he was younger and now trains with the club attached to Clonmel’s Cycologist Cycle Shop and also with members of Panduit Carrick Wheelers Cycling Club.

He cycles between 400km and 500km a week and will take part in a 312km cycling event in Majorca in April as part of his preparations. He is confident of completing the 500km challenge and hopes he can do it in 20 rather than 24 hours.

“With something of this distance, it’s more a mental battle and also an eating challenge to consume enough calories to keep going. It will be just a case of stuffing my pocket with enough food as possible.

He will have a number of pit stops during this long journey to refuel his body.

John has set a goal of raising €5,000 for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and has set up a JustGiving social media page called John’s Fundraiser for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland where donations can be submitted.

Here is the link to the John's Fundraiser for the Alzheimer Society of Ireland JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/john-dowley-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

A poster promoting John Dowley's 500km in 24 hours cycle

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