Carlingford leader Yvonne Keenan Ross tells RTÉ LifeStyle how she overcame her fear of singing in public and how she's learned to balance work, home and health.
Dr. Eddie set you the challenge of singing in public, how did that all come about?
I used to sing years ago and signing is one of the things I've sort of always regretted not doing. I put singing down to my weight, I never pushed myself to do it because my weight was like a security blanket. I'd feel too big to do it but then years ago I got up to sing in the local pub and they took a picture of me and put it on the notice board and when I saw the state of myself in the pictures I said 'I'm absolutely not doing that again' and I just never did, for years and years.
Dr. Eddie said no, that was something concrete that I could try and find the confidence to do so I went Wednesday night then and I sang in the same local pub where they had taken the picture of me. I actually, would you believe it or not, found the picture on the board of me when I decided never to do it again.
How was the experience this time around?
Ah no, it was grand since all my friends were there and like, people are really supportive and nice but when you're sitting in front of people you know, you're kind of more self-conscious because you know by their face and their reactions whether they're liking you or not, you know that kind of way?
It went very well. I was delighted with myself because even though it was still, realistically it was just me getting up singing in the local pub, but I also had the cameras on me so that added a different dimension to it, you know? So I was proud of myself for doing that.
Do you think it's something you'll continue to do now?
It's definitely something I'd love to do, it is something I'd like to continue doing, I think I have to build up and stop being so critical of myself. I'm very hard on myself.
One of the songs you wanted to sing was The Climb, what's the importance of that song to you?
It means so much to me at the moment because you can see the mountain from my bedroom window and I actually climbed the mountain during the week with the kids, which was another big deal for me and to sing The Climb because it's so significant for Operation Transformation. I actually sat one day, crying, singing it when I was practicing it because it just meant me overcoming stuff - do you know what I mean?
How have you found balancing work and home life along with your new exercise and meal plans?
It was hard. I mean it was very hard the first two or three weeks until I got into a kind of system for it because do you know what? Part of the show was me realising that I was doing far too much; looking after the café, looking after the B&B, looking after the kids. Even without doing Operation Transformation I was doing too much.
And then the second week of the show, I think it was the second, it all got too much for me like that was just so difficult that week. Then I just had to try and organise myself to pull back and give other people things that they could do to try and take the pressure off myself.
For the last couple of weeks, I've balanced it all better because I've been stricter about what I'm able to do. I had got into the habit of doing stuff when I could have delegated it and given it to someone else to do, you know that kind of way? And even with the kids, doing everything for them and not saying 'no, you can do it yourself'.
Operation Transformation airs Wednesdays and Thursdays at 8.30pm on RTÉ One.
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