Erris gets behind John as OT fever grips barony

INSPIRATIONAL John Conmy from Belmullet, one of this year’s Operation Transformation leaders, is pictured with the show’s host Kathryn Thomas

Events taking place all over Mayo

Anton McNulty

OPERATION Transformation (OT) fever has struck Belmullet and the wider Erris community with close to 1,000 people coming out in support of local leader John Conmy.
The popular chef and proprietor of Fun Bobby’s Bistro on The Square in Belmullet is one of the leaders of the new series of Operation Transformation and already has become one of the stars of the show.
Up to 1,000 people came out in Belmullet on Saturday morning for the Operation Transformation 5k Walk in support of John in his efforts to lose weight in the hit RTÉ show.
However, John’s journey was nearly over before it began when the 47-year-old father received shocking health news on Thursday night’s episode after he was put through a fitness test that brought worrying results.
The routine ECG test, which measures electrical activity in the heart, indicated ‘worrying irregularities’ and left viewers questioning whether he would be able to continue in the show.

Heart condition
Weighing in at 22st 10lbs or 144kg, John from Bangor Erris was informed that his ability to continue as a leader and his future health could be at great risk.
“Before he can carry on with the programme, John will need to fully investigate these worrying results,” host Kathryn Thomas revealed.
His doctors informed him that he has a heart condition called AFib (Atrial Fibrillation) but was told he could carry on with the show.
“I’m carrying on – exercise is supposed to be good for it,” he said on Saturday night’s The Ray D’Arcy Show, when asked if he could continue with the show.
“We got on the phone to my GP in Belmullet and he rang my cardiologist in Galway. They got me organised and got me into a clinic in Galway two days later. Dr Ciara Kelly came down and we had a chat and we went through everything with the cardiologist.
“It turns out I have a thing called AFib which is to do with the electric pulse in your heart – one or two of them are firing faster than they should be,” he explained.
The unexpected health scare has galvanised a lot of support for John on social media with Saturday mornings walk showing the support he has from the public. The next couple of weeks the five leaders on the show will be challenged to lose as much weight as healthily possible and will follow exercise plans and new food diets to achieve that.
The success of the television show in recent years has led to a number of Operation Transformation events taking place across the country.

Tourmakeady OT
As part of their fundraising plan for their Strictly Come Dancing campaign, Tourmakeady GAA are also getting in on the Operation Transformation fever. This week’s daily walks, all leaving from Halla Pobail Tuar Mhic Éadiagh depart on Tuesday at 7pm; on Wednesday there is Pilates and a walk from 7pm; on Thursday there is another walk at 7pm; the walk is at 8pm on Friday and then on Saturday, join in walk from Lough Lannagh in Castlebar at 10am. More information is available on the Operation Transformation Tourmakeady Facebook page.

Operation Transformation leaders in Westport
The leaders for the Westport Leisure Park Operation Transformation had their weigh in last week and the following is the starting weights for all five contestants:

• Brid O’Malley, Age 50, Starting weight 15st 3lbs
• Caroline Canny, Age 42, Starting weight 19st 4 lbs
• Caroline Whelehan, Age 32, Starting weight 13st 2lbs
• Patrick Tumelty, Age 64, Starting weight 16st 2lbs
• Maire Garvey, Age 56, Starting weight 15st 7lbs

Operation Transformation weekly walks for the public take place on Tuesday and Thursday evening at 7pm from Westport Leisure Park and Saturday morning in conjunction with Westport Parkrun at 9.30am from the Mill Street car park. Everyone is welcome to join in these walks.