“May the Road Rise to Meet Him …” Two-time Cancer Survivor Nick Edmund continues his 2,000km golf-walk around Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
Last Spring Nick Edmund – a former MD of Faldo Design and currently in remission for Head and Neck Cancer – walked 1,000km of the Wild Atlantic Way coastal road from Malin Head to Galway carrying a set of golf clubs on his back. The purpose of Nick’s endeavour was to launch a worldwide campaign called ‘Global Golf4 Cancer’, an awareness and fundraising initiative, which in Ireland is supporting Galway based charity, Cancer Care West.
During his epic golf-walk Nick visited 20 golf clubs. At each course he played just the 4th hole while delivering a distinctive Global Golf4 Cancer awareness flag for the club to periodically fly on that hole in support of the campaign. Nick’s plan to complete the second half of the Wild Atlantic Way last Autumn, walking a further 1,000kms from Galway to Kinsale, was thwarted when a new cancer diagnosis required him to undergo 4 weeks of radiotherapy treatment followed by extensive surgery.
4th Hole at the Old Head Golf Links
Despite this very challenging setback, on Sunday March 4th Nick will once again ‘march forth’ in a southerly direction, setting off with his golf clubs from where he left off beneath the clock at Galway Golf Club, and walking to the Galway Bay Golf Resort beyond Oranmore. Over the course of the next two months Nick will play the 4th hole and raise the Global Golf4Cancer 4-Flag at another 20 ‘Wild Atlantic Way golf clubs’, including such world famous venues as Lahinch, Doonbeg, Ballybunion, Tralee and Waterville, and he intends to finish the journey by playing the spectacular 4th hole at Old Head of Kinsale Golf Links on 4th May.
“I won’t deny it’s has been a difficult few months”, Nick Edmund said. “But I didn’t imagine for one minute that I might not be returning to the west coast of Ireland. For one thing it is an extraordinarily beautiful place, and from the far north of Donegal to the most remote corners of Connemara I have always received an incredibly warm welcome. Moreover, it became clear to me that cancer has touched the lives of so many of the people I’ve met along the Wild Atlantic Way that I feel I owe it to them, as well as the golf clubs and countless individuals who have been helping and encouraging me, to complete this journey.”
Richard Flaherty, CEO of Cancer Care West commented: “Just a few weeks before Christmas Nick was still in hospital recovering from a nine and a half hour major operation; to think he now wants to undertake what he calls, in his typically understated way, ‘this unfinished business’ is quite amazing. Cancer Care West feels privileged to be associated with Nick – to help fly the flag for the Global Golf4 Cancer campaign and also help raise vital funds for our charity”.
John McLaughlin, CEO of North & West Coast Links added, “This is a remarkably inspiring ‘good news golf story’, and it’s all for a tremendous cause. I’m sure the entire Irish golfing community will want to wish Nick well and cheer him every step of the Wild Atlantic Way”.
For further information about the Wild Atlantic Way 4-Flag Campaign, please visit www.globalgolf4cancer.org
Nick Edmund founded the not-for-profit organisation Global-Golf4-Cancer with a view to establishing a series of 4-Flag Campaigns and Events throughout the golfing world – each campaign or event being specifically devised to benefit locally-based cancer charities. In developing the ‘Wild Atlantic Way 4-Flag Campaign’ in Ireland, Global-Golf4-Cancer has been assisted by IAGTO, North & West Coast Links, South West Ireland Golf, Failte Ireland and Cancer Care West.
