‘Without Omagh Wheelers we could not have coped’

NEWS of Aran Sheridan’s sudden death while on a cycling holiday in Majorca last May hit his family like a tonne of bricks from the blue.

“It’s hard to convey what it is like to lose somebody you love so much, without any warning at all,” his father Owen said.

Speaking after Aran’s Omagh Wheelers clubmates handed a £35,000 cheque to the charity that helped bring the 52-year-old’s remains home last year, Owen discussed the pain of losing his son, the support his family received in the aftermath of his death and growing in response to grief.

“If you have ever lost somebody so close, you’ll understand the indescribable nature of the pain.

“It hurts so much, and a lot of it is to do with knowing that you can never bring them back,” said Owen.

When Aran died, he was on a trip to Majorca which should have been a dream holiday.

“He was away with his friends from the Omagh Wheelers – people he had bonded with over thousands of miles on the roads around Tyrone and beyond,” said Owen.

Unfortunately, Aran did not make it home alive, passing away peacefully from natural causes in his sleep.

“Our world caved in when we heard what had happened. But the support we received right from the start was incredible, both from the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust and the Omagh Wheelers,” Owen said.

The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust organised the transportation of Aran’s body back to Ireland, helped the family navigate the technicalities and logistics inherent in such circumstances, and provided informed, emotional support.

Meanwhile, Aran’s friends from the Omagh Wheelers did anything and everything they could to make this turbulent time a fraction easier for the Sheridan family.

“People see bikes on the road and all they think is, ‘Would those so-and-sos get out of my way’,” laughed Owen.

“However, the true value of a club like that is hidden. It just looks like a group of people out doing a bit of exercise. But the truth is that is a community. I don’t know if people understand the depth of care and empathy they have for the people connected to the club.”

Owen became effusive when talking about the social importance the Omagh Wheelers.

“Yes, they all love cycling and that is what brings them together. But they are much more than that. You can ask any member of our family and they will tell you that we couldn’t have coped with Aran’s death without them. I am adamant about that. They went above and beyond.”

Positive

Everybody I spoke with last Thursday agreed that Aran was a positive force in the world. His smile was broad, his laugh was full, and his personality was quiet, but uplifting.

“I learned a lot about Aran after he died,” said Owen.

“I found out about good things that he did for people, things he never mentioned. He was somebody who helped people because they needed it, and for no other reason.”

Owen said that each member of his family now bear a heavy cross on their backs. However, rather than being crushed by it, Owen says he has become stronger for withstanding its weight.

“I am a believer that the hard times in life make us better people. It gives us a different view of things, and it leaves us in a position to relate to others. I can walk up to somebody who has lost a loved one, put my hand on their shoulder, and, without a feeling like a hypocrite, say, ‘I know what you’re going through’.

“Aran’s loss has given us all the ability to help others who have experienced the kind of loss we have. It seem right, given the sort of person Aran was, that that this is something to try to use.”