A Unique Story
The unique Limavady solicitor and Rotary Club Past President Peter Jack gave Monday 27 October a light-hearted address on some of his amazing journeys and feats over the last 15 years including climbing up to 4,500 metres on Mount Everest and mountains in Borneo, Morocco and Mt Kilimanjaro together with competing in 14 Ironman Triathlon races (long-distance triathlon races consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a marathon 26.2-mile run, raced in that order and without a break). It is widely considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world. He advised that before travelling to the Club he had maintained his daily routine of swimming 1 mile before breakfast and that he intended to do some track- work on his return.
Plugging his book My Journeys, he gave 10 reasons to buy it which included: it has a photograph of Matt Porter; a foreword from 32 marathons runner Gerry Duffy; all proceeds go to Rotary Charities; is a good support for a wonky table leg; excellent reading in the toilet and a terrific stocking filler!
He noted that he had been terrible at sport in school but was now an advocate of sport for life. His love of adventure having been kindled by a Rotaract trip to South Africa where they ended up in a mud hut and asked the mother of 6 children what she would be cooking for them that night - she replied she did not know... He pointed out that the first step was the hardest and that you only get old because you have stopped running (not the other way around). He exhorted members to get out and do some serious exercising, suggesting though that there were some quite interesting forest parks nearby which would be more suitable than Mt Everest!
He advised that he had loved writing this book and quite a number were snapped up by members present. So far he has donated £500 to Jaipur Limb (which he has been told has enabled 33 children to walk) and next week will be handing over another £500 to Lifeline Radio.
His stimulating address of the book and his challenges in the big wide world was very well received.