Image source, Declan Faulkner Image caption, Declan spent almost seven weeks cycling from the west coast of America to the east coast ByNiall McCrackenBBC News NI Mid Ulster Reporter Published 1 minute ago Declan Faulkner and his wife Patrina always intended to return to the United States, a place they visited shortly after getting married almost 30 years ago, and maybe make a cross-country trip.
But, as is sometimes the case, life had other plans.
They moved close to Patrina's home village of Ballygawley, County Tyrone, developed their careers, raised four children – and then Patrina was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Four years later, in 2017, she died.
But Declan never forgot the journey they were meant to take together – which is why the 55-year-old just spent seven weeks cycling coast-to-coast across the US, from Portland, Oregon on the west coast to Portland, Maine.
Image source, Declan Faulkner Image caption, Declan's wife Patrina died in April 2017 "When things got tough throughout the journey, I just had Patrina's voice in my head and I dug deep thinking about what she and other cancer patients go through," he said, reflecting on one of the hardest but more rewarding challenges of his life.
It was during Patrina's illness that Declan found an outlet in the form of endurance sports, setting him on a path to his 3,800-mile (6,115km) epic cycle across the US.
"I've always been a keen runner and love to cycle, and even when she was sick Patrina would give me the green light to go off to the Mourne mountains for the day," he said.
"I just loved the serenity of running and cycling there and I suppose mentally it really helped me hold things together at the time.
"I'd remembered talking to Patrina about this idea I had in my head of going back to America and cycling coast to coast.
"Ten years had passed since she died and the kids have grown up, and I just thought wouldn't it be great to see America on two wheels with the memory of Patrina on my shoulder along the way." Image caption, Declan said he loved the serenity of running and cycling So at 55 years old, Declan, who is a financial adviser by day, decided to take a short career break to fulfil a lifelong dream, while raising cancer awareness along the way.
He was joined on the road by his friend from Cork, Donncha O'Brien, another keen cyclist.
Declan said: "We had met a few years back on cycling trip in Kerry and had become great friends and thank God he was there because he kept pushing me.
"There were days when you felt like your body was just shutting down and you were sore all over, because we were spending sometimes 10 hours a day on the bikes without a break." Pinch-me moments The men spent 43 days on their bike and averaged 85 miles (137km) a day, but on some days cycled up to 120 miles (193km).
They cycled 45,000m of elevation, the equivalent of five-and-a-half Mount Everests.
The journey took them through some of the most spectacular landscapes in North America - over the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming and along the Great Lakes.
Image source, Declan Faulkner Image caption, Among the spectacular places Declan passed through was the Devil's Tower National Park in Wyoming Declan said he had several pinch-me moments throughout the trip.
He said: "Cycling into Devil's Tower, Wyoming, which I think was one of the first national parks inaugurated in 1906 and it's just this big volcanic plug - we cycled there on a beautiful day.
"Seeing that for the first time was special.
"Then coming into Vermont in the autumn and some of the colours of the trees were just stunning.
"And we cycled through this amazing lightning storm in upstate New York in the dark, with the lightning strikes just lighting up the whole place." There were also many hard days along the way too.
"Cycling through the strongest winds I've ever experienced in South Dakota was probably the toughest.
"Leaving South Dakota Badlands National Park we actually ran out of water and my sugar levels just dropped and I nearly fell of my bike a number of times, I was just exhausted." Image source, Declan Faulkner Image caption, The gruelling journey involved storms, strong winds and much-needed breaks by the roadside Declan's journey started at the Pacific Ocean and ended at the Atlantic Ocean.
He says seeing the Atlantic coast is something he will never forget.
"Our final destination was this beach right on the Atlantic Ocean, and the last 20 miles to it just went in a flash, and taking the bikes down to the water on that last day was totally surreal.
"I wasn't overly emotional until that evening when a friend sent me a picture of Patrina and I from 30 years ago when we were at a party at college.
"That just brought the tears because I was looking at that picture and felt like she was with me the entire way." As part of the cycle, Declan raised almost £20,000 for Charis Cancer Care, which runs a specialist care centre on the banks of Lough Fea in County Tyrone where Patrina spent many days after her diagnosis.
Image caption, Arlene McAvoy from Charis Cancer Care praised Declan for his achievement The centre in the foothills of the Sperrin Mountains, just outside Cookstown, provides a free-of-charge service offering emotional, physical and practical support to people with cancer.
Arlene McAvoy from the charity said: "With Declan doing this cycle in Patrina's memory and raising awareness, it's just amazing what he has achieved.
"Each year we have about 1,400 people who come to our centre.
"It's not just for the person who is going through cancer, but it's also for their families and carers as well, and I know this was a special place for Declan also." Image source, Declan Faulkner Image caption, Reaching the Atlantic coast was an unforgettable moment for Declan Now that Declan is back home, he says it is taking a bit of getting used to.
He added: "You wake up thinking: Have I pumped the tyres?
Have I greased the pedals?
Are the lights charged?' "It's mad because you've been in that cycling bubble for so long.
"But now that I'm looking back on it, I am very proud, and I do think about what Patrina would think.
