Stephanie dares to be brave with abseiling challenge for Temple Street

19-year-old Stephanie is giving back to the hospital that helped her 'so much' by abseiling from Croke Park's Hogan Stand

Tue, 31 May, 2022 - 06:05

Helen O’Callaghan

Culinary arts student Stephanie Harding is a terrible flier, and you’d never get her on a rollercoaster.

“I hate heights,” says the Drogheda-based 19-year-old who works as a pastry chef.

So it’s surprising she’s set to abseil from Croke Park’s Hogan Stand on June 20. Stephanie is taking part in the Children’s Health Foundation’s ‘Dare to Be Brave’ adventure series – a fundraiser for Children Health Ireland (CHI) hospitals and urgent care centres at Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly.

Stephanie is not as fearful as she might be because she also did the abseil last year for the same cause. “I was absolutely petrified. At Croke Park, you start on top and climb down a frame and when the ladder ends, you have to let go and hold onto the rope.

“It was going through my head that when I’d feel my support gone, I’d end up doing the wrong thing. I didn’t do any training, apart from 10 minutes just before the event. They got me harnessed up and then taught me how to feed my hands through the rope and how to control it.

“But I knew it was all for a good cause. I just reminded myself there are people going through a lot worse,” says Stephanie, adding she owes a debt of gratitude to Temple Street, where as a child she was an outpatient.

"I was diagnosed with epilepsy aged five."

Her first memory of Temple Street was undergoing an EEG (electroencephalogram), following which she was prescribed medication. She continued to take this until she was 10.

Temple Street helped me so much in my life. It has been difficult for organisations like this to fundraise in the last two years, so if I can help I will.

Stephanie found the abseil “amazing” last year. “I could see across Dublin City. When I let go and was just free-falling, the fear went. I just concentrated on going down slowly. Now I can’t wait to do it again.”

Ray Goggins, chief instructor on RTÉ’s Special Forces: Ultimate Hell Week, is calling on everyone to be brave this year and choose to do one of the adrenaline-inducing events. Apart from the Croke Park Abseil Challenge (June 20-23), there’s a 24 Hour Wilderness Survival Challenge in Glendalough (July 21-23) and a Skydive Challenge in Edenderry (August 24-27).

Stephanie says she’d love to do the skydive –at least once in her life. “But I still wouldn’t get on a rollercoaster.”

Step out of your comfort zone for sick children by taking on the ‘Dare to Be Brave’ adventure series challenge.
Take part in all three remaining challenges – or choose the one you want to complete. Do it on your own or as part of a team.
Funds raised support the vital, life-saving work that happens in CHI hospitals, from cutting-edge equipment and a range of patient/parental supports to making ground-breaking paediatric research possible.
For more info, visit daretobebrave.childrenshealth.ie, or email daretobebrave@childrenshealth.ie

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