Evanne Ní Chuilinn is always on the go, whether she is giving us the sports updates on the Six One, or she is bringing us the latest results from the world's biggest sporting contests, but what sacrifices has she made to get here?
Beyond being busy working at RTÉ, Evanne also has a jam-packed home life. She has three children, Séimi, Peigi, and Teidí, who she shares with her husband Brian Fitzsimons.
The sports presenter has opened up to EVOKE about the struggle of having to miss out on spending time with her children while she is busy working, and in a separate interview, delved deep into the personal sacrifices she has made to get to where she is now.
'It's really hard all year around, I spent the whole summer working on the Olympics and the Paralympics and my children were off school,' she said. 'It is a huge balancing act and it always has been.'
It comes as no surprise from her put-together onscreen appearances that Evanne is a very organised person. She revealed that she sits down every week and sorts out the family of five's busy schedule so that everything runs smoothly.
'I know it's cliche but the balancing act is just off the charts at the moment,' Evanne said.
She admitted that welcoming her third child, two-year-old Teidí, in January 2022 has shifted things for the working mum.
'Three kids are definitely a game-changer,' she said. 'Two were a little bit easier to manage but when the third one needs to go to bed at 7 pm while the other two are still off at training it was difficult.'
However, in an interview with RSVP, Evanne insisted that it wasn't her kids that forced her to give up one of her main passions in life, but her career, saying: 'I was always involved in sports, and I’ve always tried to keep it up, as well. I played senior camogie in Dublin until I had my first son.'
'I didn’t give it up because I had kids — lots of people go back playing team sports after they have kids — it was actually my job. I work evenings, I work weekends. That’s kind of what curtailed my commitment levels,' she explained.
Evanne acts as an ambassador for Get Ireland Active, which is a resource to help Irish people get moving. 'It is a database of ways to get active in your local area,' she explained.
'The main thing is to encourage people to get active and it's going to make it a little bit easier for people to get moving.'
Evanne explained that she will be availing of the resources to help her find her activities for her family. 'For me, as a parent, I will be using it a lot. The main thing is trying to find a playground for the kids,' she said.
The Get Ireland Active website gives users instant access to an entire country’s worth of activity. Whether it’s abseiling on Achill Island or yachting in Youghal, you’ll find what you’re looking for on the Sport Ireland Get Ireland Active platform.
The Get Ireland Active resource can be found at Get Ireland Active.
