Brave Newbridge teen (16) takes part in annual Dublin City Marathon at the weekend to raise money for charity

By Kim O'Leary As over 20,000 participants turned out to take part in the annual Dublin City Marathon on Sunday (28 October), inspirational Eoin Sheridan from Newbridge took part in the marathon to raise funds for local charities. Young Eoin Sheridan (16) is from Clongorey outside Newbridge and he was born with 22Q11, also known as DiGeorge Syndrome (DGS). DiGeorge Syndrome is classified as a rare disease with 1 out of every 2,000 people living in Ireland being diagnosed with it. On Sunday, Eoin was ready to take part in the marathon in his racing chair which he has kindly been loaned from the Clonakility Waterfront Marathon, and he was joined by his father Colm, friends John Sweeney, Ken Eustace, Pascal Battault, and Kevin Hoyne. [caption id="attachment_255414" align="alignnone" width="326"] Eoin and Colm Sheridan with friends John Sweeney, Ken Eustace, Pascal Battault, and Kevin Hoyne.[/caption]     [caption id="attachment_255416" align="alignnone" width="225"] Eoin and Colm Sheridan with John Sweeney at the Naas Town 10k run in September 2018[/caption] The group finished the race in a time of 4 hours 12 minutes and they undertook extensive training over a period of several months to prepare for the annual Dublin City Marathon which is now sponsored by SSE Airtricity. The men's title was won by Ethiopia's Asefa Bekele in 2:13:23 while Mesera Dubiso also from Ethiopia won the women's race with a time of 2:33:48. Meanwhile, last month Eoin, his father Colm and friend John Sweeney participated in the Naas Town 2018 10k family fun run event which started at Naas GAA Club on Sunday, 30 September. They finished the Naas Town 10k race with a time of 49 minutes and 8 seconds. When he was just two weeks old Eoin suffered a devastating stroke and he spent the first 3 months of his life on life support in Our Ladies Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin. Eoin now attends St Anne’s Special School on the Curragh and he requires assistance in carrying out many daily tasks. Eoin has personally chosen 2 charities to raise money for as part of his marathon journey. firstly the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation and the Curragh Lourdes Fund. Eoin’s proud father Colm explained: “When Eoin left hospital Jack & Jill provided nursing care to us so that we could care for Eoin in our own home. We will always be grateful for the support provided to us by this fabulous charity. Secondly the Curragh Lourdes Fund take Special Needs and Sick adults and children to Lourdes as part of the International Military Pilgrimage. The Curragh Lourdes Fund has a strong affiliation to Eoin's school. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has donated to our fundraising efforts.” "We have exceeded our original target and have been overwhelmed by the level of support. Eoin and I are planning to take part in the Clonakility Waterfront Marathon in early December and after that it will be putting the feet up for the rest of the year," said Colm. Brave Eoin is aiming to raise €5,000 for his chosen charities. For more information and to support Eoin and his team visit: https://www.gofundme.com/eoinschariot