It’s a Wrap – Operation Bush4mation 2015
After 6 weeks of dedication and hard work from both participants and organisers, Operation Bush4mation 2015 came to a close last Friday night with a 3km finale on the track. There was a great air of excitement on the start line as participants were joined by local elite runners Brian Lynch and Brian McCloskey, who came along to lend their support to the participants. Brian Lynch is Over 60 World Indoor 1500m Champion, World record Holder and AAI Masters Athlete of the Year while Brian McCloskey is the Louth Senior Cross Country Champion and Louth Senior Athlete of the Year. It was an honour to have runners of such calibre coming along on the night to recognise the achievements of our participants. Brian Lynch started the race and it became evident very quickly how much fitness levels had improved over the 6 week programme as participants took to the track with great gusto. They kept the pace up for the duration of the 3km and afterwards, were all presented with a medal to recognise their completion of the programme. This was followed by some light refreshments prepared by participant and friend of Glenmore AC, Melissa McCoy. Music on the night was provided by Farnon Bounceabout Inflatables and this added enormously to the evening. There was a great sense of camaraderie on the night which is something that this particular programme prides itself on. This social aspect is just as important as the health benefits gained by participants over the 6 weeks.
This programme couldn’t have happened without the almost 100 people who signed up on week one so a huge thank you to our participants. We had a fantastic team of volunteers including Glenmore AC club members, parents and friends of the club and teachers, who shared their expertise as class leaders, mentors and managing the social media aspect. These included Shane Lynch, Ellen O’Connor, Maria Duffy, Gabrielle Hanlon, Paul Malone, Michael Rodgers, Stephen O’Connor, Kenneth McBride, Aaron Cumiskey, Shane Toner, Dara Morgan and Vicky Leahy. They put their heart and soul into the six weeks and wanted the very best results for those taking part. We were also incredibly lucky to secure the services of class leaders Martina Durrin (Yoga), Joe Hoey (Jmacfitness) and Carl Gordon (Zumba). On the weekends, we had a stunning mountain trail each week led out by Geraldine Barry, Isabelle Woods, Teresa and Sean Keenan. Working non-stop behind the scenes was a core team of Glenmore AC members led by Chairperson, Rose White and supported by Bush PP School and Principal Kevin Joyce. The programme couldn’t have run so smoothly without this level of attention to detail. We hope that everyone who took part enjoyed the programme and will continue to reap the benefits going forward with their healthy lifestyle journey. Details of all of the class leaders can be found on Glenmore AC website if any participants wish to continue with any of the classes that they particularly enjoyed. For those who enjoyed the track sessions, Glenmore AC Fit4Life group meets on the track on Monday and Wednesday 7-8pm and we are always delighted to welcome new members.
