My godmother, Jean, was part of the generation of people that used to answer the phone by reciting their own number back to you when they had answered. One day when I was at home for a few days I rang to invite her to my parents house for dinner and she answered the phone with a "hello" rather than her customary greeting. It was this moment that I realised that her dementia diagnosis was in fact real and wasn't going to go away.

Several years ago Jean, who was also nanny to myself and my 3 siblings growing up, was diagnosed with dementia. She was a huge part of our lives, so much so that I remember arguing with my sister because I didn't believe she wasn't my grandmother and we often told my parents that we hoped we would be able to find someone like her to look after our children if the time came.

She held me the day I was born and although she is still with us, the lack of routine and support that came with the various lockdowns over the last few years has seen her mind deteriorate devastatingly fast.

The money raised through this challenge will hopefully offer support to those who need it and help fund some much needed research into a cure, as currently there isn't one.

What is Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia and damages the brain leading to: memory loss; confusion and needing help with daily tasks; problems with language and understanding; and dramatic changes in behaviour.

A report in 2019 found that close to 1 million people are living with dementia in the UK, over 40 million people worldwide and that one person every 3 minutes will develop the disease. If you live you be older than 85 years old, your chances of getting Alzheimer's will be almost 1 in 2.

It is also the biggest killer in England and Wales; in September 2022 dementia was responsible for 11.4% of all deaths in England and 10.5% in Wales. Despite being discovered over a hundred years ago we are not yet able to offer any more help to people with Alzheimer's than there was available to the first patient who died of it in 1906. Globally, it is the only cause of death in the top 10 causes of death that cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed down.

What am I doing to raise money?

I am aiming to complete a 10 day triathlon down the west coast of Ireland starting at the northern tip, Malin Head and finishing at the southern tip, Browhead, in April 2023 to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society so that they can continue their work supporting people living with the disease and funding research into a cure.

This will start with a 15km swim in Lough Erne in Northern Ireland, followed by 6 days cycling 200km a day down the Wild Atlantic Way and finishing with 3 days running 50km a day. All costs will be self funded and I will be supported on the challenge by my lovely wife, Chloe, and our little vizsla, Bagel and I would be very grateful for the company if anyone wanted to join for a day or two.

Any donation, however big or small, will be massively appreciated and really provide me with some extra motivation to get the huge amount of training necessary to complete this done as we head into the colder months of the year.

There will be some extra events and challenges along the way to boost fundraising and help me hit my targets - details will be confirmed monthly.

Fore more information on Alzheimer's Society, please visit their website: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk

Thanks in advance for your donation!

Ronan