Tipperary Operation Transformation leader talks about being lifted up in nightclub
Best of luck!
Marie Clear has garnered huge support as she made her first appearance as part of the 2023 Operation Transformation Leader family when the programme aired on Wednesday night.
Marie, 32, lives with her mum Angela in Cashel, county Tipperary and works part time as an SNA with children living with disabilities.
Marie was born with Achondroplasia (a genetic disorder with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance whose primary feature is dwarfism). Independence is extremely important to Marie, never to allow anything to get in her way.
During the RTÉ programme on Wednesday night, Marie talked about being conscious of random people taking photos of her in the street and she said she had been lifted up before in nightclubs.
Marie says she deals with such behaviour every day of her life which shocked and appalled the medical professionals on the show.
She said it some times ends in a row with her friends jumping to her defence so she just tries to avoid going out or going too far away from home.
In response to her starting weight on the show, Marie said she knows her weight is high for her height and wants to lose it, that's why she applied.
A smoker, since she was aged 14, Marie watched keenly as 2022 Leader Stefano Sweetman managed to kick the habit. She would love the expert support to do the same.
Marie said: “I am looking forward to starting my journey on Operation Transformation 2023 and very thankful for this opportunity. It will bring me where I need to be for the future as my independence is very important to me. I look forward to meeting so many new people on my journey and showing them if you put your mind to something, everything will fall into place. Trust in yourself and you can achieve anything.”
Marie joins her fellow Operation Transformation leaders Thomas Hynes, Andrea Daly, Stephanie Bowden and Lorraine Dempsey as they embark on health and wellness journey to improve their overall health.
Operation Transformation airs Wednesday nights at 21:30 on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.