Cork-based Operation Transformation leader: The Echo Mini Marathon is a huge thing for me

WHEN mother-of-two Kathleen Hurley Mullins appeared on RTÉ’s Operation Transformation earlier this year, she described herself as Mrs Nobody.

Now, Mrs Nobody has blossomed into Mrs Somebody and she is proudly embracing her old self by taking part in The Echo Women’s Mini Marathon, this Sunday, September 18.

“I was quite fit when I was younger,” Kathleen explains.

However, years of stress urinary incontinence, following the birth of her children, had left her feeling vulnerable and severely lacking in confidence.

“I put myself away forever, it seemed,” Kathleen admits. “I believed I couldn’t do anything if I wasn’t close enough to a toilet. So, exercising wouldn’t have been for me.

“I would have never participated in The Echo Women’s Mini Marathon. So, this is a big thing for me!”

Kathleen dealt with stress urinary incontinence for 20 years.

“It was a terrible burden to carry, but I had a huge fear about resolving it in case I would have to have surgery.”

When she heard of the vast number of cases of women in the UK whose bodies had rejected the mesh, she felt vindicated in holding on to her fear.

Operation Transformation was the turning point in her life.

“Being on it literally changed my life”, Kathleen insists.

“It was never about weight loss for me, although I did drop a stone and a half over the duration of the programme. And have dropped another half stone since. It was more about getting my body strong again.”

The starting premise of the OT programme is more all-encompassing than simple weight loss, according to Kathleen.

“It is geared towards those who feel that an aspect of their health can be improved.

“They ask you what you want to achieve. I said I wanted to highlight ovarian cancer issues while on the programme and to also get as many people as possible talking about Stress Urinary Incontinence because it affects so many women.”

Kathleen feels simple education is needed around the impact of childbirth on a woman’s body and the potential fall-out.

“Immediately following the birth of her baby, a mother should be advised by hospital staff that stress incontinence could be an issue down the line and assured that there is a simple non-surgical remedy out there for 95% of cases. They should also be given options for treatment.

“The analyst on Operation Transformation was the one who recommended I see a Pelvic Floor (PF) Physiotherapist. She is someone who works on you internally to rectify the problem,” continues Kathleen.

One of the top PF physios in Ireland, Shalini Wiseman, is based in the Cork Women’s clinic.

“Shalini was excellent, very gentle, and really put me at my ease”, adds Kathleen.

And, incredibly, after just six sessions with her, Kathleen’s issues of 20 years were completely resolved.

Like the menopause, there appears to be a lack of sharing of knowledge and experiences among women battling with Stress Urinary Incontinence and Kathleen wanted to highlight this on Operation Transformation.

Her story seems to have resonated with so many women around the country.

“In recent weeks, I was at Bloom, Electric Picnic, and at the Horse Show in the RDS, and was amazed at the number of women who approached me to tell me their own stories.

“One woman even commented how good I was to come on TV and say how I wet myself!,” she adds with a wry laugh.

Highlighting the issues surrounding ovarian cancer was also on Kathleen’s agenda when going on Operation Transformation.

“I wanted to highlight the issues around ovarian cancer to help other women out there as we had had personal experience of it in our family.

“In November, 2020, when my sister Susan complained of a pain in her left hip, her doctor wanted her seen by a physiotherapist,” Kathleen explains.

“There was a bit of a wait for the first appointment but, the night following her first physio session, she was literally screaming in pain.”

Susan needed another doctor’s appointment, but on December 17, her mum found her and she had had a seizure.

“She was rushed to hospital where she was told she had cancer everywhere, the origin of which was later determined to be an undiagnosed ovarian cancer,” she added.

Ten days after her diagnoses, Susan passed away. It was Christmas, 2020. She was just 61.

“My three sisters and I got checked out medically after that, and they discovered that I had a large dermoid cyst on my left ovary.

“I needed surgery to have the left ovary removed and decided to have the right ovary removed also as a precaution.

“It shot me straight into surgical menopause and I suffered with every single symptom you could think of. I hit menopause as if I had fallen off a cliff.”

Kathleen has fought the good fight over the years but credits Operation Transformation with turning her life around.

“Operation Transformation totally gave me back my confidence and my motivation. It has brought ME back”.

“I always thought The Echo Women’s Mini Marathon would be beyond me, so it is a huge thing for me to actually do it,” insists Kathleen.

She, along with her three sisters, will proudly walk the course in honour of their sister Susan.

Kathleen lives in Carraig na bhFear with her husband Tony and her children Anthony, 23, and Heather, 19. She owns KCH Beauty Salon in Youghal.

We asked people taking part in this year’s mini marathon to send us their messages on why they are taking part in the race - in person, but also virtually...

Michelle Culloty said: “I have been doing this since we were kids, now I’m turning 40 in January and still doing it, it’s all for a good cause as we have a long term illness in our family and we lost a dear friend, who organised this for us all to do many years back, and I’m still doing it,

“I also lost a dear aunt Patricia Moriarty who would have travelled up to Cork from Dingle, County Kerry, to also participate in the women’s mini marathon with me so on the day it brings back alot of memories for me now, but I know everyone is proud of me to keep on this tradition.

“So now I run the Mini Marathon and I know they will get me through it.”

Ann Mullaney said: “My mum has always loved taking part in the Mini Marathon but for the last few years, because of Alzheimer’s, hasn’t been able to. Alzheimer’s has robbed her of so much life and this is something I can do with her so she can continue to enjoy this amazing day which celebrates wonderful women like my mum.”

Carmen Wallace said: I was JUST thinking how I needed to get back-on-track and WHAM, here’s your article! Yet another case of serendipity :)

“Eventually I’ll take my dream trip to Ireland in person, but in the meantime I’m absolutely thrilled to do this Mini Marathon virtually.

“So you’ve actually given me a reason to get back to my twice-a-week 5 or 6 k runs. Just turned 58, in good shape with swimming and tennis, but slow but steady running really does the trick for body AND mind.

“I’m a member of the Coach Parry.com online Faster Beyond Fifty running team.

“The only good thing that Covid left us is the ability to do virtual participations.”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SUNDAY’S RACE...

The Echo Women’s Mini Marathon takes place this Sunday, September 18, from Centre Park Road.

It is a 6km event and participants will travel down the Marina, around Blackrock Pier, up Ballintemple, down onto Monahan Rd and back to Kennedy Park.

The event is run by Cork Athletics and sponsored by The Echo.

There is also a virtual event for those who do not want to take part/ or can’t take part in the race.

There is still time to sign up to this year’s event. You can do so online until Friday. Or you can pop along to the Race Office, at Goldbergs on Victoria Rd. You will be able to sign up there, but won’t receive a personalised number. The office is open today from 2pm to 5pm.

You will also be able to register at the Race office on Race Day.

Cork Athletics are encouraging people to check their time zone so they can stay with friends and groups. The AAI will be directing participants to the runners or walkers section, so be sure to give yourself enough time on the day.

This year marks the 41st anniversary of the event. For more see echolive.ie/minimarathon