The Mahoneys on winning Ireland's Fittest Family after 'gruelling' battle
The Mahoneys from Wexford walked away with the hardearned title of Ireland's Fittest Family 2021.
Ireland’s Fittest Family went out with a bang last night, as the latest champions of RTÉ’s flagship show were revealed following a gruelling battle on a Co Wicklow mountain top.
The Mahoney family conquered the Allens in the weekend’s two-part finale, walking away with €15k after being crowned the programme’s season eight winners.
“I never thought I was going to win but the boys told me all along that they were only going into it to win and they never thought otherwise. I wasn’t let in on the secret,” says Joanne Mahoney, a 35-year gymnastics coaching veteran and owner of Gymstars gymnastic club in Wexford.
Her sons, 17-year-old football player Alan, 20-year-old hurler Conor, and 24-year-old team leader Kevin, joined her on the series after Alan suggested the family enter the competition.
“They all do everything to a high level. Kevin used to play GAA and is now into bodybuilding and Conor is big into hurling, he’s been drafted up to the Wexford county hurling squad and is a nominee for club person of the year and young hurler of the year. Alan is on the county football senior development squad then,” says proud mum Joanne.
For her own part, Joanne coaches athletes at a European level, with trainees on the Ireland gymnastics squad. “I don’t know, maybe they do get it from their mummy,” she says, laughing.
Due to the pandemic, the filming of the series was done over three weeks instead of the usual three month time period.
“We did one round one week and then when we got through that the next round was the next week and then the semi-final was on a Wednesday and then we were back up again for the two day final on the Friday,” Joanne explains.
“They have said that all the challenges were much more difficult this year and by Jesus, we felt it. At the time, after each one, I said ‘Why am I doing this’.” Joanne only started training for the series two months before filming. Though she had good strength from coaching, her daily exercise up until that point had been walking with friends and starting the Couch to 5k challenge.
Once she found out they would be on the show, she got a training programme from a local fitness instructor, Sue Murphy, and worked her way up to the level of fitness she needed to keep up with her sons.
The family says that the final was “horrific” and that they were lucky that no one got injured during the programme.
“Conor would be mega-fit and he got sick at the top of one of the challenges in the final. I was physically being carried around the place because my legs were like jelly and I couldn’t walk,” Joanne says.
“It was gruelling but once you stood up at the ramp at the very end it was all gone. It was like having a baby, once you have it you forget about how you got there.” The family says that keeping their triumph a secret since filming ended in August was tough, only revealing to the boys' dad Tommy and Joanne’s mother that they had won.
They’ve been watching the series with their extended family via Zoom every week, receiving hundreds of messages from friends and many from fans on social media, where the boys have picked up a massive following.
“It’s really interesting watching it because you don't know what they’re going to put up. Seeing yourself doing it you’re saying ‘I don’t remember doing that’ or ‘Jesus my hair’ and the lads Instagram accounts have just gone viral then,” Joanne says.
“They have so many followers and they’re getting all these messages from people we don’t know, girls saying they think they’re gorgeous. They’re feeling like such celebrities. I think half the population of Ireland are watching because of lockdown.
“There are people who are telling me that they had never watched it before but are watching it now because there’s such excitement with nothing else on. After each show, I would get over one hundred Whatsapp messages, which is great because you get to feel the excitement.” As for the prize money, Conor put his €3,750 share toward a car, Kevin is saving up to travel next year, and youngest Alan “just wants money in his account”. Joanne will be sharing her portion with her husband.
This is only the second time that the family’s coach, Davy Fitzgerald, has won the series in eight seasons, with his teams missing out on the title by seconds in the last three finals.
“This is really special. The Mahoneys definitely grew as we went on. Their confidence, you could see it. I’m really proud of them,” he said during the final.
“Davy has been inspirational, the whole way as a mentor he’s been fantastic. He made me believe in myself and made the boys believe in themselves,” says Joanne.
