RTE star Anna Geary has lifted the lid on the realities of motherhood and confessed “it’s the greatest challenge”.
The Ireland‘s Fittest Family judge and her husband Kevin Sexton welcomed their first son, Ronan, back in 2023.
The former All-Ireland captain has been open about her first-time experience with motherhood on social media since giving birth to Ronan.
However, after appearing on Mark Moriarty’s Roasted podcast, Anna admitted that the initial plan to start a family is just a “small part of it”.
The 37-year-old said: “Wanting kids is only part of it because then you have the small matter of whether or not we are able, whether or not it will happen.”
The doting mum told how herself and Kevin were “really lucky” as they became pregnant just months after making the decision.
The popular presenter moved on to admit that she “wasn’t prepared for pregnancy” and the changes that came along with it.
She added: “As a sports person I was used to the training a certain way and setting up my days in a certain way, and suddenly my body was changing.
“All these changes and it was the lack of control, I think… with pregnancy control goes out the window.
“And then with motherhood and parenthood that definitely goes out the window!”
The Irish star joked that she has turned into her own mother since becoming a mum and laughed: “She had her set days for meals and now I get it!”
Regardless of her struggles, Anna couldn’t help but gush over motherhood as she continued: “I am enjoying it, it is the greatest privilege but definitely the greatest challenge.
“There is no live TV show or All Ireland final that comes close because you are winging it!”
Anna, who was crowned the Cork Rose just two weeks before winning the All-Ireland Senior Camogie Final in 2014 revealed that she “doesn’t do things by halves”.
The champion told Mark how she “never saw it as a sacrifice” when she was training hard for her camogie career.
Even in the summer that she was chosen as the Cork Rose, she would sneak out of the hotel to train at 5.30am to make sure she remained committed to her captain duties for the Cork team.
MAKING THE JUMP
She added: “At the time my biggest worry was what people would say, ‘She’s not giving commitment to Cork, how could she be giving commitment if she’s the Cork rose’
“But I got up some mornings back in Tralee at 5.30am, snuck out, did a training session before the day started because I wanted to be sure for my own confidence and show, ‘Your commitment hasn’t wavered here’.”
Anna also explained how after her stint as captain, she realised her nine to five job with a marketing company was not “fulfilling” her.
At 27, the star decided to take the leap into the world of media in a bid to chase the same high she felt from winning the All-Ireland.
Anna expressed her fears of people judging her and joked: “Coming from a small rural town in Cork, I’m sure everyone was saying, ‘Look at her trying to get on the telly’.”
She later moved to Dublin to pursue a career in media and journalism and worked with Radio 1 and with RTE on ‘The Sunday Game’ as a sports analyst.
Anna later secured a major role as a coach on the Ireland’s Fittest Family series.
