Keenan secures Tandragee GC defib

Tandragee GC has a new defibrillator thanks to the running exploits of the Co Armagh PGA Professional Dympna Keenan.

Keenan's (left, with Tandragee Golf Club Captain, Jeff Forde) marathon effort was prompted by the high profile campaign of former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher but came about completely by chance.

She explained: “At last year's Captain's Day, I bumped into Andrée Ardis (right) who does a little bit of running. She had never done a marathon but she said she would love to do one and I agreed to do it as well. I had run the Belfast Marathon eight years ago so at least I had some experience.

“When the club captain, Jeff Forde, heard about it he encouraged me to use it as a fund raising opportunity. Times being what they are, golf clubs can't really afford to throw money around so I decided to raise money to get a defibrillator.”

A leisure runner who jogs two or three times a week to stay fit, Keenan embarked on a 16 week training regime to get ready for the Dublin Marathon on October 27^th.

Most of the training was done at 6am before beginning work but it clearly paid off as she completed the 26.2 miles in a highly respectable 4 hours 1 minute.

“I struggled a bit over the last two miles. When I did the Belfast marathon eight years ago I did it in 3 hours 49 minutes,” Keenan added, before insisting she has no plans to do another one.

“It was a tough course, it was windy and hot but it was worthwhile. We raised enough money to get the defibrillator and the £900 left over was donated to Macmillan Cancer support.”