Former Tipperary hurler Seamus Hennessy completes Antarctic Ice Marathon for Suicide Awareness in 7:05:33 hrs

Former Tipperary hurler Seamus Hennessy has completed the Antarctic Ice Marathon in aid of Suicide Awareness in a time of 7:05:33 hours. 

Hennessy, who won an All-Ireland medal with Tipperary in 2010, signed up for the grueling 26.2 mile challenge to raise money for two local charities close to his heart - Pieta House and Living Links Tipperary. 

READ MORE: Seamus Hennessy: 'It’s good to talk about hard times when they arrive at your door'

Hennessy left for Punta Arenas in South West Chile on December 8 before making his way to Union Glacier in the Antartic which is home to the southernmost marathon on the planet with conditions reaching a windchill temperature of -20C.

More finishers:

30 Yunfeng Bai (CHN) 6:57:35 hrs
31 Tomasz Maslanka (POL) 7:02:20 hrs
32 Justin Quill (AUS) 7:05:17 hrs
33 Seamus Hennessy (IRL) 7:05:33 hrs

— IceMarathon (@AntarcticIceMar) December 13, 2018

In 2000, when Hennessy was just 11 years old, he lost his mother Josie to suicide. 

In January 2013, while watching the Late Late Show at home in Cloughjordan with his father, his attention was caught by Cycle Against Suicide founder Jim Breen who was on the show to speak about the devastatingly high rates of suicide in Ireland at the time (ten suicides per week).

READ MORE: Seamus Hennessy: For people who have lost a loved one to suicide, the word ‘why’ never truly leaves us

"Watching him, I felt I could contribute too by sharing my own story in the hope of helping others avoid the same devastating tragedy that had befallen my family and so began my involvement in sharing my story in various schools, communities, GAA clubs and at events around Ireland," Hennessy wrote in his RunningforJosie column for the Tipperary Star earlier this year.  

Over the past eight months Hennessy has fundraised over €200,000 for Pieta House and Living Links Tipperary through his GoFundMe page RunningforJosie. To donate to the campaign click here.