A NORTHSIDE teen will travel to Ethiopia this summer feeling a lot lighter thanks to a weight loss goal he set himself at the start of the year.
Aaron Reilly (16), from Ard Na Greine, will head to the African country, along with seven of his fellow students at St Paul’s College, Raheny, to take part in volunteer work with the Vincentian Lay Missionaries (VLM).
However, in order to fund the trip, Aaron and the other students have to raise e1,500 each.
While the other volunteers are doing various activities to raise their money, Aaron, who is not a sporty person and is carrying a bit of excess weight, decided to do a sponsored weight loss programme.
Aaron has enlisted the help of Bodytransformation, a gym based in Baldoyle Industrial Estate, to help him lose the weight. Three locals, including Alan Connor who has taken Aaron under his wing, started up the business.
Aaron’s target is to lose a stone over the next six weeks. He is asking people to sponsor him one euro for every pound he loses or to make a once off donation of any amount.
“So far the sponsorship and the training is going well,
? Aaron told Northside People.
“People have been very generous. I’m training three times a week, doing a class and getting a bit of personal training. It’s not easy but you feel great after it. I’m going to try and keep it up even after this programme is over. I’m a bit heavy but wouldn’t class myself as obese.
“The start of the year is ideal for doing this. As well as volunteering it’s an opportunity to improve my health at the same time.
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The St Paul’s College contingent will travel to Ethiopia to work with deprived children in a summer camp at the end of June. They will spend two and a half weeks treating the children to English classes in the morning and playing games and sports in the afternoons. They are also planning to bring toys out to the kids.
“I will need energy for running around after 300 children,
? joked Aaron, who will be concentrating on his Leaving Cert studies when he returns.
“It’s a great incentive for me to lose some weight. I thought if I could do it, it would help me to keep up when I go over there.
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Aaron added that if he raises more than the e1,500, the surplus money will go into a pot to help the other students who may not be able to raise that sum.
He also thanked the team at Bodytransformation for all their support.
If you would like to support Aaron in his fundraising venture, contact 086-3329500.