A stroke survivor from Castlereagh in South Belfast has walked over 400 miles across Northern Ireland to raise more than £5,000 in vital funds for the Stroke Association and Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke.
Mark Oliver set off on the challenge on 14th June along with his friend Chris Boyd, also from Castlereagh in South Belfast. They both had life changing strokes in the last two years – at just 45 years old and 43 years old respectively.
Mark’s stroke came as a shock as he has always been fit and healthy. He said:
“My stroke lasted for about 40 minutes which was extremely scary. I was lucky in that I was at home with my partner, Sonia, who has some medical training.
“I had a tear in an artery which caused the stroke. I was kept in hospital for a few days and prescribed medication. I didn’t have any physical side effects, but the mental impact was hard for me – it turned everything upside down.
“Once I was able to, I started getting out walking. From the first walk I had this idea of not letting the stroke define me. I wanted to do something positive from it all. I mentioned this to Sonia, and she told me about her friend Chris. I asked her to reach out to him to see if he wanted to come walking with me as I knew what he was going through and how having a stroke can be a lonely experience.”
Chris had his stroke in October 2023. He went from working as an electrician and DJ to having to learn to walk and talk again. He said:
“Life as I knew it went out the window when I had my stroke. I still haven’t been able to return to work as an electrician due to the vision issues I have been left with.
“I have had two kidney transplants and have been told my stroke was most likely due to long term dialysis which calcified arteries. However, I do think that the lifestyle I was leading didn’t help either as I was doing so much work wise. But everything stopped that night I had my stroke.”
The pair went for their first walk last August and immediately clicked. After their second outing together, the idea of a fundraising walk around Northern Ireland was discussed. Mark and Chris spent months training for the fundraiser walking up to 30 miles a day three times a week.
Unfortunately, Chris injured his knee on the first day of the challenge and wasn’t able to continue with the walk.
He said:
“Sadly I didn’t get back on the walk. I was there on the last day to walk to Stormont with Mark and some of our supporters. I have only just got back to light gym workouts. I would like to thank everyone who followed our journey. Mark is an inspiration to me and with all his advice on training, healthy eating, and his positive vibes I think we will be friends for life.”
Mark completed the walk on June 26th, and both men have raised over £5,300 which will be split equally between the Stroke Association and Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS).
Alasdair O’Hara, Northern Ireland Director at the Stroke Association, said:
“It was a privilege to visit Mark and Chris at the start of their walk across Northern Ireland. I was hugely impressed by the challenge they set off on and their dedication to raising awareness of stroke and vital funds for the Stroke Association NI and NICHS.
“Every year more than 4,000 people in Northern Ireland face the devastating reality of stroke. When that happens, the Stroke Association supports stroke survivors and their loved ones, for however long it takes, to help them find their strength and way back to life. We want more people affected by stroke to know that we’re here to help and support them.
“Life after stroke can be challenging but being active can play a key role in recovery. I’ve no doubt that completing this arduous journey will be an inspiration for others in the stroke community to take their own steps towards being more active too.”
The Stroke Association supports stroke survivors and their families by phone, at home, and in the community. Find out more at http://stroke.org.uk/northern-ireland.
Gavin Adams, Director of Income Generation at Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke said:
“We are so grateful to Mark and Chris for taking on this amazing challenge in support of our charity and the Stroke Association NI. The effort and dedication shown by them both is nothing short of phenomenal.
“Mark’s gruelling journey took him over 400 miles across Northern Ireland and it has helped raise an amazing amount for both charities. It is a fantastic achievement, and we are so grateful. We also want to recognise what a huge part of the challenge Chris was as well by fundraising and spreading awareness. We are very thankful and wish him a speedy recovery.
“People may be surprised to learn that 50% of stroke survivors in Northern Ireland are under 75. As Mark’s and Chris’ stories show, the impact of stroke can be devastating – but NICHS is here to help with expert care and support. Almost 90% of our income comes from public donations, so fundraising efforts like this are vital to enable us to continue to support the local community and provide life-changing services.”
