David is probably the only Irish survivor of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis to have completed a marathon, and definitely the only one who wants to do six of them in different countries across the world. But David is a strong-willed, Meath man who doesn’t know how to quit. He broke the record for Irish organ recipient patients when he finished the New York City Marathon in 6.15.31. He then set his sights on achieving every amateur runner’s dream, becoming a member of the “Super Six” club, a small group with a medal only given to finishers of the New York, Boston, Chicago, London, Berlin and Tokyo marathons.

However, another challange was to rock David's life and in August 2021 he contracted Covid 19, the worst scenario for a person with David's medical history. He spent 9 weeks in hospital, ventilated and in an induced coma. His wife and three children were called in three times during those 9 weeks to say goodbye. Miraculously, he pulled through and he credits his recovery to his family's support, his attitude to life,  determination and pure will to survive and thrive. 

As well as a challenge-lover, David is a passionate fundraiser. He’s an all-weathers awareness raiser and, as an organ recipient, he’s focused on advancing care for others especially those people with his rare condition. He’s also someone who’s known great personal loss at an early stage of his life, and overcome significant barriers to be in the position he is today. 

David is an  incredibly inspiring speaker and will leave any audience with the knowledge they too can rise to their own challenges.