Covid grandad completes loch trek

A 63-year-old grandfather who spent 70 days in hospital with coronavirus – including 40 days on a ventilator – has completed a 66-mile cycle around Loch Ness with an oxygen tank in his backpack.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Apr 2022, 07:50 BST
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Gerard McLaron, from Randalstown in Co Antrim, completed the 2022 Etape Loch Ness on Sunday.

“This is a really emotional day for me,” he said. “I had planned to do the Etape Loch Ness along with my fellow riders in Creggan Wheelers back in 2020 and had been training for it. Then I was admitted to hospital on March 31st where I was to remain for 70 days.

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“I firmly believe that training for the Etape in 2020 saved my life. Had I not had that level of fitness to fight Covid, it would have been a different story.”

Malcolm McCurrachMalcolm McCurrach
Malcolm McCurrach

Gerard’s younger brothers John and Dominic joined him for the Etape, part of the team of 14 from the Creggan Wheelers cycling club.

John said: “There were many times when Gerard was in hospital in Belfast that we were told he wasn’t going to make it, so to see him complete the Etape is absolutely incredible.”

Gerard, a father of three and grandfather of four, completed the cycle which starts and finishes in Inverness and takes riders along the iconic Loch Ness, in six hours, 19 minutes and 15 seconds.

The event organisers arranged for him to have regular oxygen along the route.