From playing Junior football in North Galway to climbing Mount Everest

By JIM CARNEY THREE months ago, a Killererin Junior football team were celebrating their victory in the 3B League final at Tuam Stadium. One of the players on the winning team was already planning his next big test â€â€ the worldâ€â„¢s highest mountain. Peter Oâ€â„¢Connell, brother of Marie, a star player for the Galway Ladies Football team in their historic All-Ireland triumph of 2004, has set himself the huge task of attempting to become the first Galway man to climb Mount Everest. His gruellling 10-week â€Å“expedition of a lifetimeâ€Â starts on April 4th and the target date for reaching the summit is in late May. It is interesting to note that one dictionary definition of the word gruelling is â€Å“physically or mentally demanding to the point of exhaustionâ€Â and Peter is aware, as he heads into the unknown, that only 33 Irish people have ever got to the summit of Everest: 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) above sea level. Itâ€â„¢s been conquered by just over 3,000 people since Edmund Hillaryâ€â„¢s and Sherpa Tenzing Norgayâ€â„¢s heroic 1953 pioneering journey to â€Å“the top of the worldâ€Â. Those who made their dream come true included both experienced mountaineers and â€Å“capableâ€Â climbers willing to hire professional guides. Peter Oâ€â„¢Connell is only 29 but he has packed an astonishing amount of tough challenges into his young life: Kilimanjaro summit (Africaâ€â„¢s highest peak), Mont Blanc summit (Europeâ€â„¢s highest peak), Connemarathon 2012, Limerick Marathon 2012, Burren Marathon 2012, Portumna Ultra Marathon 2012; Galway Bay Swim, 13 kilometers, 2012, Aconcagua (South Americaâ€â„¢s highest peak), 2013, and Manaslu summit, Nepal, 8,163m (8th highest in the world). This determined climber is equally keen to emphasise the importance of his fundraising mission in the Himalayas. Peterâ€â„¢s Everest expedition is self-funded, through his own company, Oâ€â„¢Connell Construction, and all money raised between now and his departure, or later in support of his great adventure, will go to Pieta House West, Tuam, a most worthy cause and one close to Peterâ€â„¢s heart. Itâ€â„¢s a happy coincidence that the chairman of Pieta House West, Tuam businessman John Joyce, is himself one of the Westâ€â„¢s most experienced climbers, having tackled Mount Everest three times. The second time, in 2003, he was one of a two-man base camp management team for a Pat Falvey expedition re-tracing Edmund Hillaryâ€â„¢s and Tenzing Norgayâ€â„¢s 1953 climb to the summit. Falvey himself didnâ€â„¢t reach the summit, nor did Clare Oâ€â„¢Leary from Bandon, Co. Cork, in her gallant attempt to become the first lady from Ireland to climb Everest; the four who got to the top were Ger McDonnell from Limerick, Corkman Mick Murphy and two Sherpas. Falvey reached the bottom of the Hillary Step at 28,770 ft, only an hour from the top, but he had to turn back because of problems with his oxygen flow, developing pulmonary and cerebral oedema; he became hypoxic, lost his peripheral vision and couldnâ€â„¢t properly see where to place his feet. John Joyce had climbed past 23,500 ft â€â€ tantalisingly only 5,000 ft from the top â€â€ when he was hit by an avalanche, was left ill and had to descend; his great Everest expedition ended in a hospital in Kathmandu. In honour of Peter Oâ€â„¢Connellâ€â„¢s commitment to Pieta House West, and to mark his own gallant attempt to become the first Connacht man to reach the Everest summit, John Joyce formally presented his ice-pick to Peter this week â€â€ as pictured above. The major renovation work at the recently acquired Pieta House, Bishop Street, Tuam will start shortly and it is immensely gratifying for all involved that Peterâ€â„¢s fundraiser will contribute to the cost of the project. â€Å“We congratulate him and we wish him well on his Everest expedition,â€Â says John Joyce. â€Å“There is already great support for Peter and we hope that support grows in the coming weeks before he sets off on his epic journey.â€Â Says Peter: â€Å“I feel I should make the most of this opportunity to help raise funds and awareness for this important charity that saves lives. It all just fell into place when I contacted Pieta House and they told me they hoped to be opening a new centre in Tuam to service the West. The centre will be only a few miles from my home in Dangan and I felt I could do something to help. â€Å“To get the chance to climb Mount Everest means the world to me. I always thought it was just a dream and that only superstar mountaineers could go to Everest, but in 2011 I put my mind to achieving this goal and have been working hard since to achieve it. I believe if someone else can do it, so can I, and if you put your mind to something you desire, no matter what it is, if you want it enough, it can be achieved. â€Å“I will fly to Kathmandu to meet up with the other members of my team: three English climbers, an expedition leader, climbing Sherpas, kitchen workers and lots of porters to carry all the equipment necessary. Our expedition leader is Mingma tsiring Sherpa of â€ËœHimalayan Human Adventures.â€â„¢ He is famous in Kathmandu and has been to the summit of Everest 18 times. His six brothers have also got to the summit; one of them is famously featured on the Everest Beer bottle! â€Å“I believe I am going with the best people on the mountain and I feel safe and confident with my team, having already made the summit of Manaslu which is only 685m below the height of Everest. â€Å“We will spend six days trekking to base camp and the following 53 days on the mountain, acclimatising and climbing. Once we have stocked our camps on the mountain we will rest and eat for a few days at base camp before the summit attempt. From there to summit will take seven days.â€Â Peter tells me he could not do what heâ€â„¢s doing without the support of those closest to him: â€Å“I could not have got this far alone. I am blessed to have a phenomenal family and friends who have supported me all the way on a rollercoaster journey. I am happy to fund the Everest expedition myself. All money raised by me will go directly to Pieta House West. Everybody out there who knows me and all whoâ€â„¢d simply like to support such a great cause, please do what you can and please spread the word.â€Â â€Â¢ Pieta House is a non-profit organisation that provides a free, specialisedâ€Â¨ treatment programme for people who have suicidal thoughts orâ€Â¨ engage in self-harming. To support Peter Oâ€â„¢Connellâ€â„¢s fundraising for Pieta House West: www.occo.ie/everest and www.facebook.com/Peteroconnelleverestforpieta