Conor's Story
I first took part in the 7 Bridges Walk in 2017 and have signed up again this year. I’m walking under the name ‘Team Maevie’ – a team that has been going for quite a few 
years now.
The team is named after my Aunt Maeve, my mum’s sister. Maeve passed away from breast cancer in 1992 at just 42 years old. My mum was very close to Maeve, and on seeing Seven Bridges Walk thought it would be both a great fitness challenge and a way to raise money for cancer.
The first time Team Maevie walked it was made up of my mum and my older brother, Dara, raising funds for Cancer Council. Since then, more people, including Maeve’s daughter Niamh, have walked the team along the way. This year it’s just me!
I joined the team in 2017 as a way to keep the team going, as my mum is no longer able to take part and Dara has moved to Ireland. I thought it was important to keep the tradition going, preserve the memory of Maeve and raise money for Cancer Council.
I keep myself fit by going to the gym and playing basketball. In terms of the walk itself – last year I thought to myself, I want to do it within 3 to 3 and a half hours. In the end I started at around 7am and finished at about midday, but it was a very fun and engaging walk, I really enjoyed it. I start at Hunters Hill and finish back at the Hunters Hill hotel for a couple of drinks afterwards.
I just think it’s a really cool experience to be able to walk around and take in the beauty of Sydney.
One of the best things is the people you meet along the way – it’s amazing to see how many people have been touched by cancer. I’m just one story out of the thousands who do the course every year, and it’s humbling hearing those experiences as well. You meet people on the way round the course and chat - everyone is doing it for the same reasons so it’s easy to talk to people and understand what their motivations are. You often see people dressed up in team uniforms and everyone is really friendly.
Mum is always proud that the team name is continued. The unfortunate thing is that somewhere along the line, someone in my family will be struck by cancer again. If we can keep raising money, hopefully one day in the future that will change.
Join Conor and Team Maevie for this year's 7 Bridges Walk. Register your team today - 7bridgeswalk.com.au
