A Big Week
I was delighted to be invited as a guest on RTE's Big Week on the Farm. Although a bit nervous at the prospect of live, prime time telly, it was a huge boost to my work through AgriKids to be approached to help them cover the farm safety topic. This year's programme was coming live from Maudabawn in Cavan on the Shalvey dairy farm, home to Patrick, Geraldine and their family, Enda, Colm and Aoife.
In the run up to the live show I delivered a farm safety talk to Geraldine's 5th class in St Michael's NS in Cootehill Cavan and it was a blast!!
The following day we on hand for dress rehearsals before the main event at 7pm. For those of you who are not familiar with the show, there is also a celebrity guest brought in to take part in the 'Pull the Udder One' competition! Comedian Al Porter was our in studio celebrity and I have to say from the moment he walked on he was terrific fun - not scared to to poke fun at himself he really brought great energy to the set even when the cameras were not rolling! A very charming and charismatic guy!
For the farm safety feature I was interviewed along side the amazing Kerrie Leonard. Kerrie was just six years old when she fell from a tractor, she was paralysed from the waist down and been in a wheelchair ever since. As she is about to turn 26, she was reflecting on the last 20 years of her life in a wheelchair. Warning us of the dangers as she knows all too well but also of how she has not allowed her disability to be her definition.
Kerrie is an accomplished sports-person and this September she is representing Ireland in the Para World Games in Beijing in Archery. Financing the trip herself you can help this truly amazing young woman in her bid to become our world champion - Click here for more!
See it on the RTE Player: http://www.rte.ie/player/ie/show/big-week-on-the-f... Season 2 Episode 4
Some photos of the day: