Once again the Irish Heart Foundation promises to stage an exciting event which is sure to get hearts pumping – the hearts of the boxers and their families and friends as they watch on. Like last year there will be 30 brave men and women taking part in 15 fights, each consisting of three 1-minute rounds. The National Charity for Heart Disease and Stroke is calling on men & women aged between 18 and 40 to sign up to participate in this event.
This year will take on a new twist with rivalries between Cork & Kerry footballers being stoked in the Ring. Kerry player Aidan O’Mahony and Cork’s Noel O’Leary attended the launch in the Rochestown Park and relish the idea of meeting in the ring. Aidan will be joined by at least 10 aspiring boxers from Kerry and we hope to match them up with equally enthusiastic men Corkonians
Head Coach Dan Lane (Rylane Boxing Club) will once again be keeping a close eye on things. He will be joined by his experienced coaching team and fitness guru Chris Cashman has promised to really put people through their paces this year.
Registration is now open on www.irishheart.ie/boxing and a special introduction night is planned for Wednesday 15th of January. On the night they will be given a detailed outline of training and fundraising requirements and they can secure their place in the squad. There will also be a special session form an expert Nutritionist so that aspiring boxers can get their bodies prepared for the intensive training programme.
“At the Irish Heart Foundation our slogan is fighting Heart Disease and Stroke and our big heart fighters are helping to do this – quite literally! As a national charity chiefly funded by public and corporate donations, events like this are vital to raise funds to support our National Heart and Stroke Helpline (Locall 1890 432 787), heart attack and stroke symptom awareness campaigns, health promotion programmes in Sligo schools to help reduce childhood obesity, our lifesaving resuscitation programme and our vital research projects,” explained Anne Riordan, Regional Manager with the Irish Heart Foundation.
The Irish Heart Foundation is working to reduce the biggest cause of death in our country, namely heart disease and stroke, which claims almost 10,000 lives every year. The good news is that 80 per cent of cardiovascular disease incidence is preventable and being active is important for a healthy heart. Training for the Big Heart Fight Night is guaranteed to get hearts pumping which is good for the participants and good for the Irish Heart Foundation because it also raises vital donations.
Ms Riordan continued: “Many people do not realise that not being physically active carries the same health risk as raised cholesterol, smoking and high blood pressure. Actions speak louder than words and our Big Heart Fighters are quite literally joining the fight against heart disease and stroke. This unique event is sure to set hearts pumping and raise vital funds for the Irish Heart Foundation. I was amazed last year when one of our boxers ended up losing over 2-stone during the training programme. Taking part in this event could prove to be life changing”
“These are tough times and events like this are vital to help the Irish Heart Foundation continue its work so people living with heart disease and stroke get the support they need all year round. Together we are fighting the biggest cause of death in this country and together, we help save more lives.”
