Moxie Adventure Challenge , Brian Keogh from Total Experience gives insight into The Moxie Adventure Challenge – this course has been designed in collaboration with Bruce Duncan top UK Adventure racer.The challenge starts and ends in Tulfarris House on the shores of the Blessington Lakes and includes: 1.5K Kayak, 30K Cycle and 8K Hill run.

The Day in The Garden ,includes fun for adults and children, takes place alongside the adventure challenge and as competitors cross the finish line they are rejoined by friends
and family for food and beverages.

Go Moxie!
soundscape and film created by http://www.tonystledger.com/ for TTV © 2011

Film created by Tony St Ledger for Sense the Adventure.

Join visiting International Adventure Racers from UK, France, and South Africa…the Irish National Adventure Team as they prepare for the World series… and 1,500 other Irish
adventurers for the challenge of the season.The Moxie Adventure course design is a joint collaboration between Total Experience the Irish events management business run by adventure racers and specialist Moxie course consultant Bruce Duncan Team adidas TERREX the elite International Adventure racer.

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Moxie training weekends in South Dublin go to Fitheads.ie

Where do I start!

kops4kidz-Feb 10th 2012 in the Wright Venue Swords_Photo Tony St Ledger

Fantastic night – Boom!!!!

KOPS 4 KIDZ- The Wright Venue before the Bell -Photo Tony St Ledger

So, I arrive at the Wright Venue and the nerves are building (4pm), 3 hours to showtime, I work away sticking up posters and helping out setting up. The lads from White Collar are as chilled as a cucumber!

KOPS 4 KIDZ This is round One - Card Girl- Photo Tony St Ledger

6pm, the rest of the lads arrive – the atmosphere is building. This is going to be special. Fight briefing over we head over the road to the waiting area. I look around and every boxer is in the zone – in particular, Conor Gleeson! I’m on 7th so I just relax and head back over to the event to see some of the bouts. I soon realise that might not be the best prep as I see the bouts and the nerves set in! 4th bout down and I head back across to get changed. I’m in the zone now. I do some pad work and loosen up. I feel good, Like all the boxers I’ve trained hard for 6 weeks for this fight.

I move over to the Wright Venue – I’m nervous! I move into the back room and the lads are top notch, hats off to them. They really motivate me. Boom,Boom….. Move….

In the Red Corner…. I’m out next! The crowd is just unbelievable. I walk in and the nerves are gone. It’s showtime, a few words from the ref and I focus on the opponent. Dave O’Brien gives me some valuable words and I’m off!! Boom…..

Round 1: I hear the crowd but that’s in the background now – it’s fight time. Alan comes out like a train… my tactics are to move etc. They’re out the window. I just go for it…. Boom,boom, pow! We’re really at it…. I feel good and just keep pounding away. Ding,ding… round one over!

I’m in the corner and my corner reckon I’ve just about won that round – Dave in my corner full of great advice…. what’s said in the corner stays in the corner!

Gareth Presch

Round 2: Alan comes out like a man possessed – boom, he hits me a solid jab and I can tell you I can feel it! He keeps coming and again the tactics are out the window, he pounds me and I then get back at him in the corner…. Ding, Ding…. over to the corner we go.

Alan’s won that round for sure.

Round 3: Dave says it as it is – I have to win this round.

We meet like to planets colliding!!! I just go for it, I just keep focused, I think of my support, my wife Krista who’s put up with me working until the wee hours over the past 3 months and all the lads supporting, Dave and Darran giving me advice etc. I give it everything. I’m wishing every second away as Alan just keeps coming! Ding,ding…. what a relief…. I’m not sure but I can see from the crowd reaction we’ve put on a show and that’s the main thing.

Split decision and I’ve just about won it! All the hard training and effort has paid off. Alan and I gave it everything, like every man who fought last night – we done it for the Kids and CRUMLIN and that’s all you can ask.

The effort and commitment shown by every boxer and everyone who has contributed to the event must be commended.

Gareth Presch and Shane Byrne - Fighters at Kops4Kidz 2012

Tony St Ledger, Gareth Presch and David Conlon Seconds out at Kops4Kidz 2012

From the committee I would like to express my sincere thank you to all. €85,000 – BOOM!!!!

Gareth Presch KOPS 4 KIDZ

Gareth Presch KOPS 4 KIDZ.

Next event, Moxie Challenge – www.moxieadventurechallenge.com Enter code k4k1 when entering before the 1st March and 10% goes to St Johns Ward. See Fitheads.ie for training sessions on the event.

Yes that is €7.50 euro going to KOPS4KIDZ for every entry! Go Moxie!

http://www.facebook.com/Kops4Kidz

donate | live | share | sponsor

On the 10th February 2012 at the Wright Venue - 28 members of An Garda Síochána and 2 Civilians fought to raise over €85,000 for St Johns Ward, Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital,Crumlin.

Kops4Kidz. Worth fighting for.

a Tony St Ledger Film for TTV

Music and Film created by http://www.tonystledger.com/ © 2012

Before the Fight – kops4kidz – Feb 10th 2012 in the Wright Venue Swords-Photo Tony St Ledger

BLUE COLLAR FIGHT NIGHT 2012 donate | live | share | sponsor
“KOPS 4 KIDZ” http://www.facebook.com/Kops4Kidz

Sense the Adventure and Total Experience Present

Go Moxie!

Moxie Adventure Challenge, Saturday May 26th 2012

The Day in The Garden

Adventure Racing in Ireland has a new name, Moxie Adventure Challenge –
The Day in the Garden on Saturday 26th May 2012.

Blessington Landscape - Sense the Adventure - Moxie Adventure Challenge

Join visiting International
Adventure Racers from UK, France, and South Africa…the Irish National
Adventure Team as they prepare for the World series… and 1,500 other Irish
adventurers for the challenge of the season.

Bruce Duncan Team adidas TERREX

elite International Adventure racer.

The course – 1.5K Kayak, 30K Cycle and 8K Hill Run. The challenge is
capped at 1,500 competitors for all to fully enjoy the adventure.

No long drives, and no costly overnights, the Moxie Adventure challenge is ONE day in the garden.

Blessington Lake Drive and Ballyknockan - Moxie Adventure Challenge

Moxie Adventure Challenge – The Day in the Garden, is a one day adventure
event, designed with all the family in mind and like any event it is a
celebration, in this instance, of life in the outdoors. The event is recognised by
Failte Ireland.

On Saturday 26th, for one day in May we will pitch our adventure carnival by the
Blessington lakes in Wicklow, in the stunning garden of Ireland, and we invite
adventurers, friends and family to join us for a fun day in the garden.

Moxie Adventure Challenge Starts and Finishes at the spectacular Tulfarris House

The adventure challenge, partnered among others by Columbia and Power
Bar, starts and ends in Tulfarris House on the shores of the Blessington Lakes
and includes: 1.5K Kayak, 30K Cycle and 8K Hill run. The day in the garden,
including fun for adults and children, takes place alongside the adventure
challenge and as competitors cross the finish line they are rejoined by friends
and family for food and beverages.

For more Moxie – The Day in the Garden updates check out our media partners:
Sky Media, TV3, 3e, Associated Newspapers

Go Moxie – The Day in the Garden

Limited places available BOOK NOW www.moxieadventurechallenge.com

More information to follow on Sense the Adventure

Kops4Kidz go to Croke Park for a media briefing and photo shoot.This events is now gaining a real momentum as Kops4Kidz raise funds for St John’s Ward at Crumlin Children’s Hospital.

The event is being staged in the Wright Venue, Swords on Friday 10th February 2012. The night will feature 15 fights with Garda v Garda Novice bouts and introducing Special Guest Boxers.

Support Kops4kidz 

PowerOnSports - Sense The Adventure

Cathriona McKiernan-Chi Running-Sense the Adventure-Photography Tony St Ledger

Catherina McKiernan - Click HERE

The Art O'Neill Challenge - Sense the Adventure

10pm and we’re en route to Dublin Castle, the weather forecast for the night ahead couldn’t be better – clear skies and about 4 or 5 degrees. We arrive, and immediately the sense of anticipation is all around us. The tunes are pumping around Dublin Castle from the mobile DJ Trunk. I look around and everyone is grinning excitedly…for some reason! I think back 12 months and don’t remember last year’s event being so positive at this stage. I make my way inside and register, which is done in less than 10mins. The first hurdle over and I step outside into the courtyard of Dublin Castle - the crowd has suddenly increased dramatically. I decided a cup of coffee will warm me up and also do me the favour of keeping me awake – it’s a long night ahead.

The Art ONeill Challenge - Dublin Castle Courtyard

11.45pm I drop my heavy bag off at the drop off point in the Castle’s courtyard and head over to the front of the castle to hear the briefing – the usual safety tips and warning us all to be good to our environment (secretly hoping the environment will be good to us!). With the briefing over and spritiual words read to us by the organisers ringing in our ears, we all set off out the gates and head left towards Christchurch. Once at Christchurch we turn left and begin the long trek up towards Templeougue.

Dublin City disappears in the background

It never seems this long when I’m driving! As we walk through the streets of Dublin I can see quite a few bemused pub customers looking at us as we pass through…it’s late on a Friday night, so we’re in very different mindsets.

The Art ONeill Challenge - Sense the Adventure - Warriors!

There’s 9 in our group and we’ve decided to guide ourselves this year. Our pace on the road isn’t bad. We get to the back roads of Tallaght in under 2 hours. We’re moving well and our group has broken up into 3 groups. There’s a long steep climb up from Bohernabreena to the first check point at Kilbride. The skies are clear and the temperature is just about right. As we get up past the Dublin County Golf Club we look back and we see lights of Dublin City disappear in the background. It’s not long before we’ve reached Kilbride and Checkpoint 1.

We get to Checkpoint 1 in just under 3hrs 30mins. I look around and I can see 4 of the lads that started in our group of 9. That means there’s 2 to come in to join our current group of 3. I grab my main trekking pack from where it’s been left waiting for me. It’s time to change to the walking boots as I know it’s now that the Art Challenge really starts. Once I get changed and drop my small bag back into the drop off point in Kilbride I grab a cup of soup and the sandwich my wife kindly whipped up for me before I left, along with one or two brownies that she’d wrapped in tin foil for me to keep me going. The 2 lads have appeared so we’re back to 9.

After about 40 mins waiting at checkpoint 1, we set back off on our trek. We begin the slog up towards Black Hill. We’re beginning to move with purpose and we must pass at least 20 people on the way up to Black Hill. It’s a long and winding climb up but with the weather being so good my spirits are high – I have visions of last year – unbelievable snow & ice cold. I can remember the hardship that we experienced last year so I keep myself from getting carried away. Last year we got lost soon after passing Black Hill! So as we begin to move off the road on the final push up Black Hill we have a brief stop to re-group. With 9 of us together again we begin to move up the hill. It’s not long before the terrain turns from trail to just pure bog. We get to the top of Black Hill and begin to move along the ridge. It’s close on 6am – normally I’m tucked up in my warm bed at this time!

We begin to seperate at this stage and in my group there’s 4 of us. We’re moving at a decent pace and we’ve passed Group 2 of the guided groups at this stage. We can see Group One in the distance and begin to follow them. Soon we recognise the Valley we went through last year before Checkpoint 2 – the only difference this year is that it’s 7.30am and last year it was 9.30am! We follow the markers of the route and we soon reach the forest …out of the bog and onto a trail.

Dublin Sunrise-Sense the Adventure

8.20am and it’s just after sunrise - we reach Checkpoint 2. I’m chuffed. I remember last year we didn’t get to Checkpoint 2 until 11am. We’re moving well. Soon after, 3 of our group get into Checkpoint 2. We decide we’ll hold on and move as a group. A bowl of porridge down us, and a cup of coffee to warm us up, and we push on. We’ve waited around 35 minutes at Checkpoint 2 but no sign of the other lads.

The views are spectacular as we move up towards Art’s cross – it’s daylight now, so the head torches are off and we feel a bit better under foot now that it’s no longer a guessing game. Our group has now gone from 7 to 5. Last year we went left up the trail towards the cross but this year we decide to go right – we thought it would be easier, big mistake, it’s not! The climb up is long and steady and soon we’re in 1′s and 2′s. The conditions underfoot are extremely wet. The slog is really taking it out of the legs.

We reach what I think is the peak only to realise we’ve another 600 metres or so to go! My heart sinks, but I push on. Soon we’re at Art’s cross.

Art O'Neill 1592 -Sense the Adventure

I’m feeling good. It’s around 10am on Saturday morning – I’d usually be getting up. We wait around and get a few photos and move on as we begin to feel the cold snap. We set off towards Glenmalure… and the final push. It’s a long stretch, with visability at about 30 meters, that brings us up and down through bog marshes before we hit the valley that leads us into Glenmalure and the finish. As we get off the marsh and move down the valley we’re all moving with a spring in our step because we realise we’re nearly there. Off the marsh and then it’s all downhill. There’s 5 of us together as we move down the winding path and into the finish. I remember the route from last year and I remember the pain I was in. It’s a completely different journey this time as I feel good. We cross the line at 11.45am and we’ve completed the course in around 10hrs 30mins. We’re all well chuffed with that.

The rest of our group come in 2 hours later and we all meet at the local pub for a beer before getting the bus back to Dublin – the feet are pounding a bit, feeling tired from being awake through the night, but nothing compared to last year. I feel relief more than anything at this stage. On the bus I can see it’s taken a lot out of people as there’s little or no chat, but you can also get the sense of acheivement for everyone on board. The Art O’Neill challenge is a serious event and is well managed and well run. Just felt a slight bit of disappointment that we didnt get a medal for our efforts, it’s always nice to have a momento after such a hard slog! But at least we have the (painful) memories!!

Art O'Neill Challenge -Sense the Adventure - Cheers!

Well done to all who finished the Art.
January 2012.

Gareth Presch
January 2012.

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Robin Seymour defending Champion and Ulster Cyclocross League victor Roger Aiken go head to head for the Irish Cyclocross Championship title in St Anne’s Park in Raheny, Dublin, Ireland.

Race results and more information HERE

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www.sensetheadventure.wordpress.com

Film and music created by http://www.tonystledger.com/ for Sense the Adventure © 2012

Robin Seymour with Cyclocross Riders in St Anne’s Park - Photo Tony St Ledger

Click HERE and Read the SHANE STOKES The Irish Times – Friday, January 6, 2012