About the John McGowan 12 Hour Challenge

The Athlone Triathlon club's 12 hour challenge was inspired by the father of our secretary and club member. John McGowan was a proud member of the Tullamore Harriers, had a lifelong love of running and was a true club man at heart. He had a deep passion for all sports and a even greater love for his family, always taking huge pride in their sporting achievements.
He was a kind, funny and incredibly witty man who lived all angles of life. 
He enjoyed travelling and loved the sun, often spending summers in the blistering heat of Arizona with his son and his family. In his later years he drove a school bus, bringing children with special needs to and from school. This was one job he never saw as a "job". He loved every little person for their unique and standout qualities. He knocked great craic out of those kids each morning and it made him smile.
John was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease in April 2021, a diagnosis that shattered his life as he knew it. John gradually lost of ability to use his hands and arms, eventually leading to legs. As John was an active man, the dependency to use a wheelchair was the worst blow. Eventually the disease took over and on the 8th February, just one week after the inaugural 12 hour challenge, John slipped the shackles of the terrible disease surrounded by his 3 children.
The 12 hour challenge, raising funds for the IMNDA and the AFRC, was inspired by John's courageous battle, his love for endurance sport and to honour a man who meant so much to so many.