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Newry brother and sister Conor and Yvonne Smyth are embarking on an epic cycle to France next month in memory of their late father Jimmy. Their father had a great love of, and a long-standing friendship over 40 years, with the people of St Armel in Brittany. No doubt their journey will be shortened with happy memories of their many trips there as a family over the years. The Smyth Family are indebted to the care and support their father received from many organisations, friends and extended family so their 'Cycle 2 France for Dementia' is raising much needed funds for Alzheimer's Society, Dementia NI, Marie Cure and Southern Area Hospice.
Speaking of his father Smyth said "My sister Yvonne and I are cycling to St Armel, Morbihan, Brittany, France in memory of our Daddy, Jimmy Smyth, who passed away on 29th May 2022, almost two weeks short of his 93rd birthday. Daddy developed dementia in the last few years of his life, our family were blessed to have been able to care for Daddy in his home and most thankful for the assistance of Marie Curie in his final weeks.
"Dementia is a cruel disease that robs your loved ones of their memory, mobility and dignity, discriminating against no-one. Daddy loved his family, had great wit, enjoyed the craic, a glass of wine and daily walks with his beloved dog Holly. He was so interested in all sports, music and literature, and would normally have three books on the go at any one time. Dementia robbed him and us of all of this. As someone said to me in recent years, you grieve twice with Dementia, first, when memory loss begins and secondly when they pass in this life."
When their mother died with cancer in 1983, aged 52, their father unashamedly asked people to support a Newry Musical Society fundraiser (of which he was a member for almost 40 years) for much needed monies for the Newry Hospice. He told sponsors that they would no doubt encounter, at some point, cancer directly or indirectly in their lives.
Smyth adds "So, I unashamedly ask you to support Yvonne and myself with our GoFundMe page to raise well needed funds for Alzheimer's Society, Dementia NI, Marie Cure and the Newry Hospice. 100% of all donations will be divided equally between these charities. We know first-hand just how important it is to have the support when you most need it and many people out there will need that too."
The cycle should take around 6 days covering around 348km in Ireland and 200kms in France. They both have been training from February in all weathers and plan to leave Newry on Saturday 24th June, boarding a ferry in Cork on Wednesday 28th June, arriving in France on Thursday 29th June and then onto their final destination St Armel on Friday 30th June 2023.
They have published a blog online at https://www.bike2france.com where they intend to put updates of their cycling adventures. They are paying all travel, accommodation and food themselves.
You can donate to their cycle at gofund.me
