Ireland’s Fittest Family returns to our screens

3…2…1…Go! The nation’s favourite fitness programme is coming back sooner than you think.

Ireland’s Fittest Family is back for its 12th season of making us feel lazy on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Sunday October 27 at 6:30pm.

This season will see coaches Davy Fitzgerald, Anna Geary, Donncha O’Callaghan and Sonia O’Sullivan all competing to bring home the title of Ireland’s fittest family.

Working out in late October is the last thing on most people’s minds with Christmas around the corner, but the same can’t be said for the Parson’s, O’Connor’s, Magners and O’Neill’s who will go head to head in the first episode.

The upcoming series of the fitness show features gruelling new challenges including The Drop Zone, and Raft Rage: The Rivals- they even sound horrible!

From the comfort of our couch we will see 16 families from across Ireland be put to the test with tough courses, and high-intensity heart racing obstacle races.

The scores of the first two events will be combined and the winning family will go through to the next round, and the family with the least points will be sent home. The the other two will then face Ireland’s Fittest Family’s Water Eliminator- always an exciting watch!

Presented by RTÉ 2FM DJ Laura Fox, the series will see Camogie player Anna Geary compete against Cork fellow Corkonians and sporting legends, Olympian, Sonia O’Sullivan and rugby star, Donncha O’Callaghan, as well as Clare hurling royalty legend Davy Fitz.

The series will be returning to the beautiful Rathbeggan Lakes in County Meath to film this year’s Heats and the quarter finals are set to take place in the treacherous bog of Hell & Back in Kilruddery, Co Wicklow.

The semi-finals will see the families take on the first ever Forest challenges and the Grand Finale will be held in and around Dublin Port and its old Flour Mill, with innovative events designed to push the finalist families to their absolute limits.

Meet the first four families competing in the series:

Donncha’s Parsons Family from Dublin:

Donncha’s family, The Parsons family is hugely competitive, even with each other with parents Lariche and Gary often seeing who can make dinner fastest!

Avid TV watchers may recognise the Parsons family from their appearances on Gogglebox, however, when they are not sitting on the couch they are involved in athletics, soccer and cycling.

Davy’s O’Connell Family from Waterford:

Davy’s family, the O’Connell’s live and breathe sports, the boys adore playing football, hurling, and rugby, and the matriarch of the house Michelle is active in her Mothers&Others groups.

The family is used to competition and with the added layer of fun farm rivalry, the O’Connells are sure to be a great watch!

Anna’s Magner Family from Cork:

Anna’s family, the Magner’s is a close-knit and fitness-obsessed bunch, with parents Ciara and John paving the way for the families love of exercise.

Ciara started running at 30, while John, a former soccer player, transitioned to triathlons for a gentler challenge. Their sons have adopted their love for fitness and are all equally involved in Gaelic, soccer, swimming, cycling and running.

Sonia’s O’Neill Family from Meath:

Sonia’s family, the O’Neill’s is based in the epicentre of football in Ireland, Meath, but have deep hurling roots.

Anthony, the father, is a former county hurler, hoping to relive the thrill of championship victory through his son, who is also an excellent hurler. The two O’Neill daughters also play for their local club and hope to bring the skills they learned in dancing and camogie to the family competition.