The Ferns family from Ennis, known within the community as the faces of the local health store, Ferns Wellness, and Ferns Fitness, will represent the Banner County in the 12th installment of Ireland’s Fittest Family. After an extended wait, the competition is underway, and the Ferns family can finally share this once-in-a-lifetime experience with the local community.
Although they can’t give away too many details just yet, The Clare Echo spoke with the Ferns family to hear about their experience on the iconic show. James Ferns, the veteran athlete of the team, tackled the IFF challenges alongside his three children: Jaime (14), Bobby (15), and Kaitlyn (18).
Tracey and James encouraged their children from a young age to be active and spend time in nature. Whether that was playing football in the garden or going for walks in the Burren, it was this love for exercise and sport that prompted Tracey’s sister Laura to sign the family up for Ireland’s Fittest Family.
There were mixed reactions to the news initially, but after sitting down on a Zoom call with an RTE producer, everyone was on board and wanted to give the competition their best shot. Before they could take on the infamous hay bales, ramps, and walls, the Ferns had a long process to get through. However, after setting two records in the fitness test—Bobby hitting over 2 meters in the frog jump and James for the longest plank hold—the Ferns were confident they had a good chance of being selected to compete.
When they finally got to tackle “The Lake” in their first set of challenges, the Ferns worked together, each of them bringing their own strengths and skills to the team. Although she wasn’t competing, Tracey got stuck in and supported her husband and children in whatever way she could. Whether it was supplying vitamins to give the team some much-needed energy or patching up cuts and bruises, the five Ferns faced Ireland’s Fittest Family together.
The Ferns were matched with another Clare native, Davy Fitzgerald. From watching Davy on past seasons of the show, James and his children were a bit apprehensive about what to expect from Davy’s coaching style. Their fears were short-lived as Davy turned out to be the best mentor they could possibly have asked for. “We thought he’d be all shouting and roaring,” said James. “And, okay, he is—but in the best way possible!”
Davy quickly became the motivator they didn’t know they needed, pushing them to dig deep and find their competitive edge. “He knows exactly what to say at the right time,” shared Bobby, “whether it’s behind the scenes or during the events. He’s like a personal cheerleader, but with more yelling.”
Davy’s experience in coaching and competing at a professional level worked as a great motivator for the Ferns. “He’s competitive. He’s so passionate. He’s an athlete himself, and he’s programmed to win, but also he really wanted the best for us as well. So there is so much more than what you see on TV,” explained James. Tracey expressed how thankful she was for all of the help and support Davy provided, especially for her youngest child. “I couldn’t thank him enough. He looked after them, he really supported Jaime through a challenging time and you couldn’t have asked for better.”
Every member of the Ferns team agreed that the highlight of their experience in Ireland’s Fittest Family was getting to compete alongside their family. “The best part was being able to spend time together. It was just the most unbelievable experience being in that kind of environment. And I suppose, just working together as a team and using our individual strengths was really amazing,” said Kaitlyn.
While reflecting on the experience, both James and Tracey made reference to the Flaherty family from Blanchardstown, who competed in the second round of heats and made it through to the quarter-finals after winning the eliminator. After the filming of the show was completed, the Flahertys suffered the sudden loss of their youngest son, Cillian. Tracey said that although the competition was exciting and she is proud of everything her family has achieved, her biggest takeaway from the competition was the reassertion that family is so important. The past year has put everything into perspective for her.
“It’s been really grounding. It makes you appreciate what really matters. And it’s fun and exciting, but your family matters, your health matters, showing up for each other matters. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.”
With the big day nearly here, the Ferns are excited to finally get to share their experience with their friends and family. They have been overwhelmed with the support they have received from their community. The family will be sharing more details about their experience on Ireland’s Fittest Family here in The Clare Echo and on their new TikTok channel, ferns_family.
The Ferns family will take on their first set of challenges in the fourth and final heat of the season on Saturday, January 25. Will they make it to the quarter-finals? Make sure to tune in and support this local family. As Jaime says, “Up the Ferns!”
