Crossgar doctor’s cancer climb over Jubilee weekend

Crossgar doctor’s cancer climb over Jubilee weekend

16 May 2012 - by Ciara Colhoun

A CROSSGAR GP has pledged to tackle Slieve Donard more than 10 times over the Jubilee weekend to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Dr. Nigel Hart, who is also senior lecturer in the department of General Practice in the School of Medicine at Queen’s University, is taking on the challenge of tackling Slieve Donard 10.4 times over 30 hours, which is the the height of Everest.

Dr. Hart came up with this energetic, brave and novel way to tackle Slieve Donard for the local charity on June 4 and 5.

Although he set this challenge for himself and he will be the only one to complete the walk over 10 times, he he hopes he will be joined on legs of his various ascents by friends as he clocks up the cumulative height of 29,029ft.

“As a general practitioner I witness at first hand the challenge that people and their families experience when faced with a life-limiting illness,” he said.

“Feelings can change from minute to minute and at times it can feel like the longest, loneliest and most difficult journey imaginable.

“Marie Curie Cancer Care is an amazing organisation which walks that difficult journey with those affected helping and comforting at the most challenging times.

“People who know me well know that I love a challenge and that mountains are my thing, I love being in the hills.

“It’s a bit crazy but I have chosen to try to climb Slieve Donard 10.4 times right through the night. I am asking for people to support me, either by coming to take some of those journeys with me or by donating to the valuable work of Marie Curie Cancer Care.

“It is going to be quite an undertaking and what I have to concentrate on now is to try to get physically and mentally prepared for the challenge.

Anyone who would like to join Dr. Hart on any stage of his challenge or who would like to make a donation on the days of the challenge will be able to visit the ‘base camp’ camper van in Donard Park over the weekend.

Dr. Hart has set a fundraising target of £5,000, which he hopes will make a huge difference to the work Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Donations can be made online at www.justgiving.com/teams/everestdonardchallenge

Suzy McIlveen, Marie Curie events manager for Northern Ireland, described Dr. Hart’s undertaking as “awe-inspiring.”

“We would like to thank him for undertaking this in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care,” she said.