Sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks and cakes are now unfortunately more commonly seen in the hands of a young person than carrot sticks, salad or water. In light of this, the Transition Year students from CBS Mitchelstown recently brought their Young Social Innovators project on teenage obesity, into the national final of the competition in Dublin, where they were ranked among the top six competitors in the whole country.

The students travelled to Citywest in Dublin on Wednesday last, where they presented their project Fitness And Body (FAB) in a showcase and also presented a written report on their findings.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Student Padraig Moynihan explained that the YSI competition is built upon the premise that young people can make a change in their own community, to help solve a social issue or problem. “With a profusion of young people afflicted by it, we chose obesity as our topic of focus,” he said. He explained that obesity can cause psychological, as well as physical effects, which can leave someone with a lack of confidence.

While the judges deliberated over the projects, which ranged from things as diverse as organ donation to sudden adult death syndrome, the students were allowed to mingle with each other, while enjoying the entertainment which was provided for them, including rock climbing, archery and crazy golf.

The students were also treated to a performance by singer Ryan Sheridan, while Mary Kennedy and Ruairi Quinn  gave the students inspiring words of encouragement about their involvement in the competition and the difference they can make in their community.

Padraig said that while they failed to win a prize, they were all very proud of their work on the project throughout the year and they wanted to thank Ms Ryan for her assistance and also Declan Masterson, who accompanied the students to Dublin.

FRESH AIR

To tie in with their YSI project, the Transition Year students also set off on a gruelling 40km cycle on Friday last, as the students cycled from the school to Kilcoran Lodge and back, in an effort to highlight how fun and beneficial exercise and fresh air can be when trying to combat obesity.