We are now just two days out from Peter Ryan’s monumental Malin to Mizen run in aid of the NCBI’s first Vision Van, and we checked in with the man himself to see how he is feeling both mentally and physically before he sets out on his historic journey.
At the time of our chat, Peter was at the latter stages of a taper, which he describes as being ‘psychologically tough’ and adds that ‘they can mess with your head’. ‘I haven’t felt as fresh as this in months, but at the same time you start to worry about whether you’re doing enough, are you eating correctly, all those little things.’
Despite this, Peter remained in high spirits, ‘I can’t wait to get started now! All the build-up this week and the amount of messages I have received, it feels like it’s getting very real very quick. So with that, I just want to jump in two-footed now and get going. I just can’t wait to get to the start line, get started, and see what we can do!’
We also spoke to Katie, who works with the NCBI, and she reiterated the importance of Peter’s run and how crucial the Vision Van will be to Irish society, ‘NCBI is completing the build on Ireland’s first mobile Vision Van which will encourage people to take good care of their sight and manage their eye health’. ‘Research confirms that up to 70 per cent of blindness or vision impairment is preventable. Each year the mobile unit, named The Vision Van, will travel to 150 locations nationwide, providing information, awareness and support services for sight loss and common eye conditions free at the point of delivery, right to the heart of local communities. The Service will target your community and encourage people to reach out for support on their doorsteps.'
Knowing that 70% of vision loss is preventable really just goes to show the importance of prevention, and as we join Peter on his journey we'd like to encourage our readers to book their own eye test. Eye health testing and services are available nation-wide. The NCBI provide a plethora of services and supports which you can access here: https://www.ncbi.ie/supporting-you/adults/services-available/. There is also a wealth of helpful information that you can access by clicking this link https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/health/health-services/dental-aural-and-optical-services/sight-tests-and-eye-health/. You can also check this register for Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians in your area. https://coru.ie/check-the-register/.
Peter begins his five day journey on Sunday morning from Malin Head, and will complete the 586km run on World Sight Day (Thursday October 12th) in Mizen Head. Run Republic will be on site with Peter and his crew, and we will provide updates every step of the way. If you wish to support Peter, you can do so by clicking the donation link below!
https://www.idonate.ie/event/petersrun-malintomizenheadonworldsightdayforncbi