Carrs had the drive and only lost to McKenna family at final hurdle

There was no doubt about the drive the Carrs had to succeed in Ireland’s Fittest Family, and they only lost to the McKennas from Monaghan at the last part of the last stage of the final. It was incredibly close, and they can be proud of putting up a serious challenge from the start of the competition.

The final was at Beyond the Trees in Avondale, Wicklow, and the innovative challenges involved carrying chunky weights from the bottom of the 38 metre high tower to the top, the brutal ‘Back to the Wall’, and the classic obstacle course, which was where the Mullingar family just lost out, despite a spirited performance.

Simon Carr said: “It was just an incredible effort from all of us. I think we all left it out there and came up just short. It was disappointing in the moment, but it was an incredible experience, being able to compete with the family, and I think I can speak for all of us and say we thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, and we won’t forget it.”

Simon says victory isn’t guaranteed in sport, and the family enjoyed the taking part, and the chats and messages from people who have been following the show on RTÉ One.

“It’s a cool memory to have, not just the four of us who did the event, but for my mother and my sister as well to be a part of it. My mam’s getting more text messages than the rest of us!”

The final of Ireland’s Fittest Family was filmed in August, and since then the sporting family have gone back to their own disciplines. That will likely include the Mullingar Half Marathon again on St Patrick’s Day, and Simon has also signed up for a marathon in Madrid in April.