A Galwayman will pedal his way from east to west on a charity cycle with a difference next week – towing a dialysis machine to symbolize his wife’s journey from kidney patient to organ recipient.

Peter Conboy from Ballygar sets off next Wednesday on a remarkable five-day 240 km distance charity Cycle of Life across the country, starting at 10.30am from Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin, where his Donegal-born wife Liz was a patient more than two decades before.

His five-day trek will end at the Circle of Life Commemorative Garden for organ donors in Salthill on Sunday week.

This extraordinary endeavour aims to raise awareness and funds (through Peter’s iDonate Cycle of Life) for the Irish Kidney Association and spark conversations about the critical importance of organ donation.

Peter’s route will take him east to west along the banks of the Royal Canal, Grand Canal, and the Midlands Greenway and from Athlone onwards along primary and secondary roads to his final destination, the Circle of Life Commemorative Garden for organ donors in Salthill, Galway around midday.

Along the way, he’ll be stopping off in Maynooth, Mullingar, Athlone, Ballinasloe, and Loughrea to rally support for his cause before the final leg of his journey, from Loughrea to Galway, on Sunday week, August 4.

The poignant destination at the Circle of Life Garden highlights the significance of his mission, especially considering his personal connection to the cause.

Peter’s commitment to this cause stems from the past experience of chronic kidney disease by his wife Liz (Elizabeth) Ferry, a native of Falcarragh, in Donegal.

Diagnosed at thirteen, she became a patient at Temple Street Children’s Hospital, and she endured peritoneal dialysis at home for six nights a week, for eleven hours at a time, until a donor kidney became available less than a year later.

She underwent her life-changing kidney transplant at Beaumont Hospital in May 2002.

Peter’s arrival at the symbolic Garden of Life in Salthill is his way of honouring the family of Liz’s donor, who made the admirable decision to donate their loved one’s organs 22 years ago, granting Liz a successful and long-lasting kidney transplant.

“This was the first chapter in a new life for Liz, enabling her to complete her college degree, travel the world, marry me, and enjoy life to the full,” says Peter.

“None of this would have been possible without the selfless decision made by her donor’s family. We are eternally grateful.”

Despite not being a seasoned long-distance cyclist and balancing a full-time job with Irish Water and sheep farming duties, Peter is determined to complete the 240 km, five-day journey.

Speed isn’t the goal; the importance lies in being visible and raising awareness throughout his journey and meeting people enroute and in some towns along the way.

He starts the western leg of his cycle in Athlone on August 3, leaving from Golden Island Shopping Centre at 7.30am to arrive into the Square in Ballinasloe before midday.

He will depart Ballinasloe at around 2.30pm and head for Loughrea where he will overnight before the last leg.

That will see him leave Loughrea at 7am, with the aim of arriving at the Circle of Life Commemorative Garden, Salthill, around midday.

That final leg coincides with the last day of the week-long Galway Races, drawing a powerful comparison between the speed of racing horses and Peter’s slower journey powered by sheer determination and a meaningful cause.

There is expected to be a lively welcoming party at the journey’s end in Salthill including family, friends, supporters, and IKA Galway branch volunteers as well as Martina Goggin, who along with her husband Denis, created the Circle of Life Commemorative Garden.

Also cycling with Peter on the last stretch from Oranmore will be Eoin Ryan, whose wife Michelle Geraghty is also a kidney transplant recipient living in Salthill.

Proud wife Liz also reflected on her kidney journey.

“As a young teenager, facing an uncertain future with chronic renal disease was incredibly tough. My confidence was shaken, and I often wondered what my future would hold,” she reveals.

“The gift of a donor’s kidney gave me a future that most people take for granted. It allowed me to meet the love of my life and share a wonderful life with Peter.”

Peter will be greeted in towns along the route by IKA branch volunteers – but he would also love to see loads more come out to meet him in the towns along the way, or to give a wave if they see him.

“Most of all I hope I will remind people to support the work of the Irish Kidney Association and also to share their wishes about organ donation,” he says.

“I encourage everyone to carry a donor card, note their consent on your driving license with code 115, or set up the organ donor app on your phone.”

Those wishing to donate to Peter’s fundraiser, can donate online to https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/cycleoflife and when he visits towns there will be the option to make a donation payment by tapping a QR code.

Pictured: Peter Conboy taking his dialysis machine for a training spin ahead of next week’s challenge.