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Mercury’s Daniel Cooney on climbing Carrauntoohil 15 times to support dog rescue charities
Mercury’s Daniel Cooney will be taking on a unique physical adventure challenge this August. Daniel will be climbing Carrauntoohil, Ireland’s highest mountain 15 times in a row, without stopping, to match the height of Mount Everest (8,849 m). Daniel is completing this epic challenge to raise funds for rescue dogs in Ireland, he’s amazing to raise €15,000. You can learn more about and support the challenge here. Below, Daniel shares how he’s been preparing for the challenge, and why he’s passionate about this cause.
Ready to make a difference
Raised in rural county Meath, Daniel recalls growing up “with a built-in adventurous spirit and curiosity for nature,” appreciating “the beauty which could be found in Ireland’s diverse landscapes.” He joined Mercury’s IT department in early 2020 and has always balanced his job dealing with software and computers, with a strong love for all things outdoors, spending weekends volunteering as a hike leader to bring like-minded individuals together and connect mountainside.
Growing up in the countryside, Daniel has always had a soft spot for animals and dogs especially, with two of his own Cody and Cooper being major focus points in his life. It was through hiking in the last few years that he began to meet volunteers from dog rescue centres throughout Ireland. “I think dogs are the most compassionate, loyal creatures and spending time with my own is one of my favourite things to do”.
He continues “When I learned about the incredible work that rescue centres across Ireland are doing, I wanted to get involved myself. There are so many incredible dogs who need a home, and the volunteers do such amazing work, it’s heartbreaking when you learn about how these amazing creatures can be mistreated.” “The more dog shelters I got the chance to visit I was inspired to take action.”
This isn’t the first time Daniel has taken on an extreme challenge. Earlier this year, he climbed Carrauntoohil with a timber door tied to his back to raise funds for mental health. Last summer he successfully completed the Vandleur Lynams Challenge, climbing 275 of Ireland’s mountains in 48 days, an experience which he describes as “extremely tough.”
“I’m grateful to my team and the wider community at Mercury for all the support with every challenge I’ve undertaken. I was able to avail of the fantastic career break programme last year to prepare for the Vandleur Lynams challenge which was brilliant.”
Check out Daniel’s Instagram here.
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Pushing to the limit
He’s balanced his love of adventuring with a “rewarding” career, “I’m grateful to my team and the wider community at Mercury for all the support with every challenge I’ve undertaken. I was able to avail of the fantastic career break programme last year to prepare for the Vandleur Lynams challenge which was brilliant.” What advice would Daniel have for those who feel torn between their professional ambitions and a personal passion? “I think seriously asking yourself what makes you happy and then taking small steps to do more of that is a great way to start- when you take that chance you never know what it will lead to.”
Over the past few months, Daniel began to think about how he could build on what he’d already achieved- “I found it hard to come up with an even greater challenge until I landed on the idea of reaching the same elevation as Everest.” Daniel is aiming to raise €15,000 for dog rescue charities. “I care deeply about this cause, and I’m ready to push myself to the limit.”
Daniel has been training for the challenge the past few months. He describes the process as “very intense,” “it’s involved a lot of long days climbing for 15 or 16 hours.” He’s also been “going out in bad conditions, swimming and running in the rain to get used to the potentially difficult weather.” Dann says that while the training has been all-consuming, it’s taught him a lot about himself and the power of perseverance. “This has taught me not to give up on my dreams. The sense of pride you feel from doing hard things and coming together in the name of something greater than yourself is very rewarding.”
He’s grateful for the amount of support garnered so far- “I’ve done a few challenges, and this one has had the biggest amount of attention and support, which I’m overwhelmed by but extremely grateful for.” He continues, “climbing the mountain is half the battle, but getting the donations is the most important thing for me, without all the support this wouldn’t be possible.”
Support Dann’s challenge here.
