IT worker prepares for 26-county walk to raise funds for sick children

A 29-year-old man who only took up running a year ago is preparing for a four-week fundraising walk which will take in every county in Ireland.

Praveen Rawal’s 26 Counties for Kids challenge will see him walking up to 13 hours a day as he zig-zags the Republic of Ireland to raise money for the Children’s Health Foundation.

The charity supports sick children and their families who attend Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly hospitals and urgent care centres.

Mr Rawal said he chose the charity because of the physical difficulties he faced during his training.

He said he realised the pain he has endured “is not even 1% of the pain or suffering that they have to go through”.

“My sore feet will recover after 30 days; many of these children face endless hospital visits, invasive treatments and long nights of uncertainty.”

In March last year, the IT worker decided he wanted to “get more into fitness” and started training for a half-marathon.

He quickly became “bored” of running shorter distances and was “surprised and happy” to discover how much he enjoyed longer distances.

After his first half-marathon he said he realised “OK, I can do it, but I need to keep it going”.

He completed the Dublin Marathon in October and considered signing up for an ultramarathon.

But after a move to Mountmelick in Co Laois he realised how much he enjoyed discovering the Irish countryside through long walks.

“One thing was that I like distances, and second thing was I like new views or new surroundings to explore.”

His inspiration for the 26 County challenge came from a three-day walk from Mountmelick to Sligo in December.

“I just left a house on a Friday evening, and I said in my head that, OK, I’ll try to go to Sligo.

“I wanted to do some hiking, and I don’t drive, so I thought let’s just walk and see how it goes.”

He crossed five counties in 36 hours, and said: “Each milestone proved I could endure pain, push through fatigue, and keep promises to myself and supporters.”

Starting at the Spire in Dublin on February 14, the IT worker plans to complete his journey in 27 days and estimates he will walk up to 1,500km.

The only time he has had to use a vehicle was when he discovered himself at the side of a motorway after taking a wrong turn.

He said a Garda car stopped and it was “surprising for them” to hear he was attempting to walk to Sligo.

Mr Rawal moved to Ireland in 2022 and said his experiences of walking have deepened his love for the country and connecting with “the mountains, the rivers, and the natural beauty of Ireland”.

“Usually I am around phones, but when I’m walking, I just focus on connecting with nature.”

His highlights include chatting to farmers, petting a foal and “exploring small places like the Elphin Windmill museum in Co Roscommon”.

But “mostly it’s connecting with the people and the sense of community”.

He has set himself a goal to raise 50,000 euro.

He said: “I wasn’t sure on how much I would be able to raise. It was my first time doing such a big challenge and charity event.”

Mr Rawal is hoping to stay with supporters throughout the walk and is still finalising some of his accommodation, but said he is not too fussy about where he spends the night, adding he has a sleeping bag and is “happy” staying “any place with a roof”.