As you’re playing with toys and gifts that Santy brought, going to Mass and getting ready for a lovely Christmas dinner – one Louth man will be putting his body through its paces as he climbs Croagh Patrick wearing just his shorts and boots to raise money for mental health charities.
John McKeown from Collon in County Louth is planning on making the trek tomorrow to raise money for 3Ts and A lust For Life, two mental health charities.
John told The Liberal:
“I will be accompanied with my 3 sons Michael, John and Jason who will be fully clothed. I practice the Wim Hof Method which involves Breathing techniques, cold exposure and mind control and in 2017 became a certified Instructor. It has been shown that deep breathing and cold water swimming are good for relaxation and mental health problems.”
“Mental health problems are an increasing issue in today’s society, with one in four of us experiencing some form of mental health issue at some point in our lives. These charities need our support as they are vital in tackling this issue. I have personally encountered these issues among friends and family and in the wider community and would like someway to help.”
John spoke about personal hard times for his family that changed his life:
“In 2010 my wife was diagnosed with cancer and this was a very stressful time. I knew that deep breathing was good for relaxation and so after some research I discovered Wim Hof and how he was able to do amazing things by controlling his breath. I signed up for a 10 week online course and was hooked. For the last 3 years I start my day with breathing exercises and a cold shower. At least once per week I take an ice bath. Since doing this I am far more relaxed and have never felt better.”
“I work in Prometric in Dundalk and their chosen charity for the year is 3Ts Turn The Tide of Suicide. Recently I trained 10 staff the breathing techniques and got them to take an ice bath. We raised around €2k in the process. I had been following A Lust For Life on social media and because of their work helping people deal with stress I decided to include them as a beneficiary of my challenge.”
All donations would greatly be appreciated. You can find more info at www.lovingoxygen.com or on my page https://www.gofundme.com/croagh-patrick-challenge-in-shorts
Wish him luck!