David Carter is raising money for three charities and organisations in memory of his dad, Charlie Carter, who passed away suddenly from a heart attack in 2010
Many may think David mad for taking on such a gruelling and physical challenge, but the Gowran native is motivated by the memory of a very special person: his dad.
David has created this challenge in memory of his late father, Charlie Carter, who passed away suddenly from a heart attack in 2010.
In a particularly poignant tribute to his dad, David will cross the finish line, after nearly a week of running, on November 9, the date his late father would have celebrated his 75th birthday.
“As any son, from a young age I idolised my dad,” smiled David. “He was a proud man and everything he did, he did it for me and my brothers.
“He worked hard to put us through university, which was not easy for him given the costs attached to that. He instilled great community values in us from a young age and he was a great neighbour to people.
“Unfortunately he died young at the age of 60 from a heart attack which was very sudden. I suppose, for me it felt like we had been robbed of so much more time we could have spent together as father and son. He was so young and I was only in my mid to late 20s and I felt like I was just getting closer with him again after leaving my teenage years behind and being away from home for college.”
The aftermath of the sudden death of his father was tough, but it was running that helped David work through his grief and channel it into something positive and active.
“Everyone deals with the loss of a loved one in a different way. I suppose for a time I was a bit bitter. But running really helped me. When I ran alone I felt the closet to my dad.
“Five years ago, to celebrate what would have been my dad’s 70th birthday I did a marathon and an ultra marathon in his memory. So for his 75th birthday I wanted to do something big for him so I will be starting and finishing the Ultra 300 Challenge where dad is buried opposite the GAA club.
“Another reason for doing the challenge I guess is to let go. I know my dad is proud of me and I don’t need to justify that anymore. I need to live my life but obviously his memory will always be there and he will always be with us.”
David is also aiming to raise vital funds for three organisations close to his and his dad’s heart; the Dillion Quirke Foundation, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and Young Irelands GAA & Camogie Club in Kilkenny.
“My dad was always a very giving person so I wanted to pick three organisations to raise money for in his memory,” explained David.
“The Dillion Quirke Foundation was an obvious choice given the heart side of things. What Hazel and Dan Quirke have created in their son’s memory is phenomenal.
“The fact they are providing cardiac screening for young kids is so important. My dad would have had a heart defect from a young age but unfortunately there was nothing back when he was young to check for that so I think it is super important what Hazel and Dan are doing and that’s why I want to help in any way I can.
“The second organisation, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland, is also important to our family as my father-in-law unfortunately passed away about a year and a half ago and he had dementia. To see first-hand what a family has to go through when a father and a husband doesn’t recognise you, it is incredibly tough on the family.
“The Alzheimer Society of Ireland are great because they step in and support the family.”
In light of his dad’s love of hurling and community, David chose the local GAA club as the final organisation to raise money for.
“Young Irelands GAA & Camogie Club is part of the fabric of a Kilkenny community my dad loved being a part of. My own nieces and nephews are still playing with the club and my dad, when he was alive, he was very proud of the club and used to cut the pitch, put up the scoreboards and was just heavily involved in the club.
“He also never got a chance to see his nieces and nephews growing up and playing on the pitch so he would be so happy and proud to see money being raised for the club that the next generation of his family are still involved in just like he was.”
The Ultra 300 Challenge will see David run 50km every day for six days with a total of 300km covered with the route taking him through counties Kilkenny, Carlow, Kildare, Wexford, Waterford and Tipperary.
David will start running on November 4 and will cross the finish line on November 9 in his home village of Gowran surrounded by his family and friends.
“Lots of people have already reached out to me to say they will run either a full 50km with me or run parts along the way, which will really help because I don’t want to be stuck talking to myself for six days,” laughed David. “I’ll never be running alone which is amazing and obviously as I run through the different counties, I will hopefully meet some people along the way.”
Anyone who wants to join David along the route can check out the Ultra 300 Challenge website to see the running routes David will be taking and what times and dates he will be running through locations at. There will also be regular updates about times and dates posted on social media via @ultra300challenge on Instagram and Tik Tok.
“I really want to thank everyone for their support,” said David. “This has been a massive undertaking but the Kilkenny community and beyond have been so supportive. I have so much gratitude and respect for you all. Thank you.”
To donate to David’s challenge please click here
