A hero of Leitrim's 1994 Connacht final success says sport helped battle his way through a cancer diagnosis in his late 30s.
Goalkeeper Martin McHugh is still playing GAA, almost three decades after Leitrim's historic success in 1994.
The Aughnasheelin clubman was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 39 but is now fully health again and is still togging out.
His autobiography 'Born to Save', is being launched this Sunday in the Landmark hotel at 7.30pm which details his health struggles as well as his undying belief in himself and his love for Gaelic games.
He told the Joe Finnegan show this week that during chemotherapy session he had no energy, until he was asked to take a football training session one evening, which gave him a key purpose in life again:
"But when I crossed that white line out on the field, all of a sudden, I had this burst of energy come over me. I wasn't thinking of cancer, I wasn't thinking of getting sick and I wasn't thinking of death. And I said right, we'll set up a few cones here and give the lads a good session here, give them a talking first anyway. And we had a good drill and a good session and all that. Hopped in the car and drove home, but as soon as I got home, I was so, so tired I just conked on the sofa."
