From Cobh to Sydney; Niamh Duggan Shares How Running Keeps Her Connected to Home

Niamh Duggan is a primary school teacher from Cobh. In 2025, she made the decision to take a break from teaching to move to Australia. While living in Australia, Niamh has remained connected to Cork through running. Now training for the Sydney Marathon, Niamh has written about her journey, and the charity she is running for.

If there’s one thing my twenties have taught me, it’s that life rarely goes to plan.

Sometimes the moments you think are just a small change of direction end up becoming the moments that completely change your life.

After a really difficult year, I booked a holiday to Australia in December 2024 to visit some of my closest friends. I wasn’t searching for a new life or planning a move to the other side of the world. 

I was simply hoping for a change of scenery, a chance to switch off, recharge and spend time with people who knew exactly what I needed without me having to say it.

What I never expected was that the trip would change everything.

It wasn’t just the sunshine, the beaches or the lifestyle that captured me. It was how I felt when I was there. For the first time in a long time, life felt lighter. I laughed more, worried less and slowly started to feel like myself again. Australia gave me something I didn’t even realise I needed.

Coming home to Cobh was emotional because home means so much to me. My family, my friends and my community have shaped who I am. Cobh will always be home. But after less than 24 hours back in Ireland, I knew something had changed. A part of me had been left behind in Australia.

After many conversations with my parents, who have always supported and encouraged me to follow my heart, I made the decision to apply for a career break from my role as a primary school teacher in Bunscoil Rinn an Chabhlaigh, Rushbrooke.

Leaving wasn’t an easy decision. Teaching has never just been a job to me; it is something I am truly passionate about. The children I worked with brought so much joy, laughter and perspective into my life every single day. They reminded me of the simple things, celebrated the smallest achievements and made every day special. Being part of their lives and watching them grow was a privilege I will always treasure.

The support I received from the school was incredible. Knowing that the school community believed in me and encouraged me to take this opportunity made such a difference. I will always be grateful for that.

In January 2025, I began documenting my journey on TikTok. It started as a way of capturing everything that was happening—the excitement, the uncertainty, the fear, the highs, the lows and everything in between.

I never imagined how many people would connect with it.

It turns out so many people in their twenties are feeling the exact same way. So many of us are trying to figure life out, wondering if we are making the right decisions, comparing ourselves to others and feeling like everyone else has it all together. The messages I received from people sharing their own experiences reminded me that we are all navigating our way through life in our own time.

Sharing my journey showed me that sometimes being honest about the uncertainty can help someone else feel less alone.

In August 2025, I packed my life into a suitcase and moved to Sydney. People often ask me what life in Australia is like and whether it feels very different from home. In many ways, it doesn’t feel as far away as people imagine. For me, it has been more a change of routine than a completely different life.

Sydney has become a home away from home.

There are Irish people everywhere. You can’t walk very far without hearing an Irish accent, seeing someone proudly wearing a GAA jersey or meeting someone who knows someone from home. Those small reminders of Ireland make the distance feel much smaller.

Of course, living on the other side of the world comes with challenges. I miss home every day. It’s often the simple things I miss the most—a trip to Penneys with my mum, family dinners in Son of a Bun, meeting friends for coffee or just having everyone close by.

Then there are the bigger moments: engagements, weddings, baby announcements, birthdays and family celebrations. Those are the times when the distance feels very real.

But I’ve learned that missing home doesn’t mean you have made the wrong decision. You can miss somewhere deeply while still knowing you are exactly where you need to be.

One thing that has remained constant throughout every chapter of this journey is running.

If you knew me growing up, running would probably have been the last thing you would associate with me. It was always a joke in my family that I missed the sporting gene. I was happiest dancing and cheering everyone else on.

When I started running at the beginning of 2024, I never imagined where it would take me.

I didn’t start running with a goal of completing races or marathons. I started because I wanted to do something for myself. Something that was just mine.

When I run, it’s just me, the road, my music and very regularly the I’m Grand Mam podcast – if you know, you know. 

Running became my escape. It became my time to clear my head and reconnect with myself. Looking back now, I can honestly say it saved me mentally. During one of the most difficult periods of my life, running gave me structure, confidence and a sense of achievement when I needed it most.

My first race was the Sonia O’Sullivan 10 Mile in Cobh in 2024, and I was completely hooked. I then completed my first half marathon in Waterford in November before running the Cork City Marathon in 2025—a day I will genuinely never ever forget.

Now I am preparing to take on something I never imagined possible: the Sydney Marathon, one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors.

When I decided I wanted to take part, general entries had already sold out, so I began looking into running for a charity. The moment I read about Clíona’s Foundation, I knew it was the perfect match.

Clíona’s Foundation is a Limerick-based national charity that provides financial assistance directly to parents of children with life-limiting illnesses or chronic complex care needs across Ireland, helping with the non-medical expenses associated with caring for their child.

As a teacher, children have always been at the heart of my life. I have seen first-hand the happiness, resilience and joy they bring, even during difficult circumstances. Supporting children and families has always been something I feel strongly about, so being able to combine my love of running with raising funds for such an important cause felt incredibly special.

Although I am now living thousands of miles away, this is my way of giving something back to Ireland.

As I stand on the start line of the Sydney Marathon, I know I will be carrying a little piece of home with me. I’ll be thinking of my family, my friends, the children who have inspired me and everyone who has supported me throughout this journey.

Every kilometre I run will also be for the families supported by Clíona’s Foundation. No parent should have to worry about financial pressures while caring for a child with complex needs. If running 42.2 kilometres can help make even a small difference to those families, then every early morning, every training run and every difficult moment will be worth it.

If there is one thing this journey has taught me, it is that life rarely follows the path you expect.

A holiday became a new home. Running became my place of peace. Sharing my journey connected me with people who were quietly feeling the same uncertainties and questions about life. And one decision to step outside my comfort zone showed me that sometimes the biggest opportunities come when you are brave enough to say yes.

I started this journey looking for a change, but I found so much more. I found confidence, a new community, a love for running that I never knew existed and a reminder that it’s okay to choose yourself.

Australia has given me memories and experiences I will treasure forever, but Ireland will always be the place that made me who I am.

As I cross the finish line in Sydney, I’ll be carrying both places with me—the home that shaped me and the home I have built on the other side of the world.

And perhaps that is the greatest lesson of all: you can love where you are while still carrying a little piece of where you came from.

Every donation, message and bit of encouragement means more than people realise. Thank you for being part of this journey with me.

If you would like to support my fundraising for Clíona’s Foundation, you can donate here.