FIT CARTY FAMILY
SCALING garage walls and pulling cars up hills aren’t your average family bonding exercises, but the Carty family from Cloonacool are not your average family.
The first Sligo family to ever take part in RTE show Ireland’s Fittest Family, Bill, Tara, Eoin and Liam put their best foot forward on the first show in the series, qualifying to the last 12 families.
Speaking to The Sligo Champion, fresh from finishing the Dublin City Marathon in an impressive time of 3.05, dad Bill explains why the youngest family in the competition decided to enter.
The national school teacher and farmer said: “We were talking about it for a good while as a family and an email came to all GAA clubs in Sligo saying no Sligo family had ever qualified.”
With a proven track record when it comes to fitness, having played Gaelic football and soccer up to two years ago, Bill has also captained Sligo minor and U-21 teams in previous years.
He is also the Chairman of Cloonacool GAA club, Sligo GAA CCC and is part of the Sligo U-16 and minor development panel management.
It was a no brainer for the athletic family to enter. Mother Mari has just recently made the Irish Cross Country team and will compete in the coming weeks.
With a fitness test to first prove the family’s mettle, the Cartys passed it with flying colours, but were left with a difficult decision.
Four places on the team and five members, meant that Mari stepped aside.
Alongside Bill on the team is daughter Tara (17), who plays basketball, football and athletics; son Eoin (16), who favours football, soccer and athletics and is a member of the Sligo U-16 development panel; and son Liam (14), who plays football, soccer and is a member of the Sligo U-15 development panel.
Filming the show over the summer months, Bill said it was a tough but ‘ brilliant experience’.
No regrets
Being the youngest family, Bill explains they were at a slight disadvantage, but adds that the family will only get stronger in the future.
“Our tactic throughout it was go out hard and do what you can and don’t be having regrets at the end of the day.”
Always a fit family, the Cartys are avid runners with Sligo AC and love nothing more than to go rock climbing and be active while on holidays.
Throughout the competition, Bill says the ‘quiet one’ of the family, Eoin, stood out as team leader.
With former sprint hurdles athlete Derval O’Rourke picking the Cartys as one of her teams, the athletic family see it as a natural link up. Ireland’s Fittest Family airs every Sunday at 6.30pm on RTÉ One.