Teenager follows mum’s lead in 40-hour raft bid

HAVING just celebrated her Leaving Cert results, Celia Johnson is about to follow her mother’s example and take part in a Big Brother-style challenge in a west Cork harbour.

Celia, 18, from Blackrock, is one of six volunteers who will brave the elements and tough tasks during the 40-hour Courtmacsherry Liferaft Survival Challenge, which starts this evening.

Her mother Ann and aunt Celia Kelly took part in last year’s challenge.

Along with Stephen Clery, Ann Marie O’Driscoll, Patrick Kelly and Marie Good, Celia will board the liferaft, moored off the pontoon in Courtmacsherry Harbour, at 8pm tonight. It will be their home until Sunday afternoon.

As they board the raft, they will each be allowed to take two selected items on board to help them through the weekend.

But they will also have to unravel the various tasks set by lifeboat coxswain Dan O’Dwyer to win food parcels.

The event is a key fundraising venture for the Courtmacsherry RNLI Lifeboat Station.

Celia, who hopes to follow a career in biochemistry, hopes to raise more than €1,000.

“It will be a new experience and bit of fun. I’ll take part in all the challenges and give it my best shot,” she said.

Since its inception in 2004, the Liferaft Challenge has raised more than €50,000.

Mr O’Dwyer said it was an important event.

“It raises the profile of the lifeboat and involves people not normally associated with the RNLI in raising monies for the station,” he said.