The Johnny Stenson Cycle is the perfect example of how to bring communities together and fight cancer at the same time.
There is no doubt that Johnny Stenson was one of the all-time greats of Sligo GAA. A midfielder on the 1975 Connacht final winning Sligo side, he was probably best known for his fielding skills, perfectly captured in this fantastic, and famous, shot of Johnny in action.
Tragically, Johnny passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2009, just months after being diagnosed with the disease. His family were obviously devastated but his brother Martin decided that he would like to do what he could to help the battle against cancer.
So, in 2012, he created the Johnny Stenson Cycle, a 120km ride around Sligo to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society. During his playing days, Johnny played for Curry and in his later days he became involved and with, and trained, the St John’s team. The cycle is a round trip, starting at Curry, cycling to St John’s before returning to Curry.
“We try to keep it as leisure orientated as possible,” Martin tells us, “it’s not designed as a high-speed cycle. We stop regularly for lots of tea, sandwiches and soup.”
Picked to coincide with the first weekend of the Championship – “it’s the only weekend you’re guaranteed no club games” says Martin – the GAA is the base on which the cycle is built.
“We get all the clubs to marshal the roads for us and there is great camaraderie between everyone. Lads from other clubs, they all turn out. Some cycle, some just help out as the cycle passes through.
“We couldn’t do this without the GAA.”
Local firms like Top Oil and Martin Walsh also help out, sponsoring custom-made jerseys with the colours of both clubs and the addition of the jerseys is a clever way to generate some extra donations.
“Anyone who raises over €200 gets a jersey and they are already becoming highly prized. Any leftover are sold.” Clever man.
Walsh is from Toulestrane, a neighbouring, and rival, club of Curry most of the year, but the cycle sees all that put aside.
“They have the biggest input of any club, bar Curry and St John’s,” says Martin. “They have six or seven junctions and they cover all of them. There is huge rivalry between Toulestrane and Curry so it great to see them joining together for this cause.”
With very sizeable amounts raised in both cycles to date, Martin has some sound advice for any club who would like to take part in The Big Championship, the Irish Cancer Society’s big fundraising initiative.
“You can’t be well enough organised. If you are going on the road you need safety marshals, sign posts, signage, all that. And clean up after yourself after the event.
“And the biggest advice to any club, of any sort, is just go and do it.”
With the Johnny Stenson Cycle, Martin has done a great thing. He’s helping the Irish Cancer Society to fight the scourge that is cancer through vital research, he’s getting people out exercising and he is keeping the name of his brother alive in an area where he is deeply loved by GAA folk.
It’s inspirational stuff and it’s people like Martin that make such a difference to the lives of others. Hats off to him.
For more on the Johnny Stenson Cycle check out their Facebook page here and for more on The Big Championship initiative, just click here.
