Dermott Taggart swaps guitar for fitness gear

MUSICIAN Dermott Taggart may have swapped his strings for sneakers as he tore through his tough 30-day fitness challenge recently – but what he is most proud of is raising more than £1,100 for a mental health charity en route.

Last month, the Omagh man, with grit and determination, set himself the intrepid task of completing 5K runs daily in aid of ‘Mental Health Foundation’.

The music maestro also had a deeply personal reason for undertaking the feat: He has struggled with his mental health in the past, and wants those struggling to know that they are not alone; their feelings are not a burden; and help is truly out there.

“I have been very public and open about my own personal struggles, and if doing so has helped even one person open up or seek support, then, to me, it has been worth it,” Dermott said. “I began this challenge due to feeling down and going through hardship – but it was the best decision I ever made.

“Every day I thought to myself: ‘pain today, pride tomorrow’, and I constantly repeated to myself that ‘I create my own reality’,” he added. “I’ve done enough to change my whole outlook on life, and how I view and respect myself.”

Dermott, who has encouraged anyone feeling ‘out of place’ or ‘out of sorts’ to set a personal goal, no matter how big or small, and complete it, successfully raised £1,142 for the UK charity, whose mission it is ‘to help people to thrive through understanding, protecting, and sustaining their mental health’.

“I want to thank all the legends who donated to my challenge, as it held me accountable,” Dermott concluded. “I also want to thank Darren Teague and Noel Gilloway at ‘Total Workout’ for pushing me through tough gym sessions either before or after my 5Ks,” he added.

“Thanks, too, to all those who joined me for the runs, and big love to everyone.”