Kilrea teen Lorcan completes Cork Ironman and raises over £8k for charity in memory of father

Kilrea 18-year-old Lorcan Calvert in action at the Cork Ironman event in August. Credit: Sportograf

A Kilrea teen who took on the Ironman Cork competition to raise funds for Air Ambulance NI in memory of his father has smashed his fundraising target.

Loreto College student Lorcan Calvert completed the triathlon event in August and his GoFundMe target of £5,000 was quickly achieved and bettered with the 18-year-old finally raising an incredible £8,220 for the charity.

Lorcan said: “Air Ambulance NI provides Helicopter Emergency Medical Services for trauma incidents throughout Northern Ireland and relies solely on donations. Each day AANI costs £6850 to deliver this life-changing trauma support.

"As AANI is a charity that hits very close to home for me it inspired me to give back, hopefully raising money to help someone else in a similar situation. In memory of my father, Brian Calvert I wanted to finish what he started, as he completed a half Ironman with the aim of taking on the full Ironman. The triathlon training endures long hours of training as it involves a 2.4mile swim, a 112 mile cycle and a 26.2 mile run.

"Any donations towards Air Ambulance would be greatly appreciated and will make a massive difference,” he said, adding this thanks to “anyone who has visited my page and has taken the time to donate to such a great cause”.

The Ironman is a triathlon style race organised by the World Triathlon Corporation. The full event consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run; all to be completed in a time limit of 17 hours with cut off times for each leg. Lorcan completed the event in 10:51:43.