A man who was “inspired” by an ADHD support group in Enniskillen has decided to run three ultra marathons in three days around Lough Erne to raise funds for the charity.

Rory O’Donnel’s oldest son has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and, as a father, he wanted to “get information on what it will be like for him in the future, living day-to-day with ADHD.”

“When I went to the Adult ADHD support group there were other parents there and we bounced ideas off each other. 
“Our family was finally given hope. I was inspired by the members of the group who were all affected by ADHD in some way and I could see the hard work being done to offer support and raise awareness of the condition. 

“I don’t think that young adults know about this group so I was keen to try and raise awareness and help point people with ADHD in the right direction,” said Rory, from Enniskillen.

“There’s a lot of people who have ADHD like Olympic athlete Michael Phelps and entrepreneur Richard Branson. They are both hugely successful but still there’s a stigma attached to it. I wonder if my son fills in a job application in the future and says he has ADHD what reaction he will get?” Mr. O’Donnell continued. “When you go to these meetings you learn a lot more about how people with ADHD manage themselves.”
His fundraising venture, called ‘Rory’s Endurance of the Erne, will see him running 32.5 miles on June 23, 24 and 25 around Upper and Lower Lough Erne.

He has been very impressed by the support he has received from local running groups, some of whom want to run the entire distance with him and others who want to accompany him on certain legs of his journey.
“It’s a great challenge. I don’t think it has ever been done before,” stated Mr. O’Donnell.

Anybody interested in joining Mr. O’Donnell on his run to raise funds for Adult ADHD can contact him on 07851823160.