Dublin woman Tara McCormack successfully completed the Extreme North Adventure Race after braving a potentially race-ending injury on Day One.

Image via Twitter @gaelstara

Tara McCormack, aged 27, collected four medals from the grueling endurance race in Donegal last weekend and made another great achievement for CRY Ireland.

The student nurse ran three marathons and one half marathon in just four days in memory of her partner Paul Cusack, who passed away from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome in 2012.

Tara was 22 years old when she lost Paul, her partner of two years. She had also lost a baby just three months previously and running soon became her personal outlet for coping with the grief. Tara became a marathon runner within a year, despite having a genetic lung condition which leaves her lung capacity at 48%.

Things did not go to plan for Tara on Day One of the Extreme North Race in East Inishowen. A freak injury occurred when her ankle ‘snapped’ after she caught her foot in a hole in the road.

Tara fought through the pain to finish the half-marathon and got the strength to continue the following three days. She braved the injury, the elements and Donegal’s climbs to finally get over the finish line.

Tara told Donegal Woman about her experience: “It was very tough, I got injured on day one, so the following three days were hell and slow but it was a great feeling having still finished. All the support and encouragement kept me going. So happy to have raised so much for CRY,” she said.

Tara achieved her fundraising target for CRY Ireland – Cardiac Risk in the Young, raising over €600 for the charity. CRY offers free counselling and screening to raise awareness of Sudden Cardiac Death or SADS.

Tara kept her optimism high over the weekend in regular Twitter updates throughout the immense physical test, all the while remembering her beloved Paul:

Tara is resting up now after her Quadrathon Quest has come to a close. You can still donate to her Everyday Hero fund here: give.everydayhero.com/ie/quadrathon

Catch up on Tara’s interview on Donegal Woman last week to hear how she took on new steps in life to deal with her personal tragedies:

Despair motivates woman to take on extreme Donegal challenge