Ex-Rugby Player Fergus Farrell to Take on Historic New York to LA Walk Following Spinal Cord Injury

DUBLIN, IRELAND – 22nd April 2026 – Spinal Injuries Ireland (SII), the only support and service agency in Ireland for people who have sustained a spinal cord injury, has announced the official launch of the ‘Fergus Walks’ fundraising and awareness campaign. This initiative will see former rugby player Fergus Farrell, who was given a 5% chance of ever walking again after a spinal cord injury in 2018, take on the extraordinary challenge of walking 4,500-kilometre’s across the United States. In the lead up to the challenge in August, Fergus aims to raise €1 million for Spinal Injuries Ireland.

This historic undertaking will see Fergus become the first person with a spinal cord injury ever to complete such a walk across America and the first Irishman to do so in over a century. Over 75 consecutive days, Fergus will walk an average of a marathon and a half (approximately 63 kilometres) coast to coast from New York to LA. The campaign is made possible through the generous support and partnership of Crown, a leading provider of full building envelope solutions.