When Westmeath actor Mary McEvoy suggested posing for a calendar in her local gym, she was “100% joking,” but by the time she’d reached home, only eight miles away, Olivia Purcell had already put plans in motion.
Since that moment, interest in the calendar has gained rapid traction in the women-only Body Empowerment Gym with 19 other women signing up to take part, and hairstylist to the stars Keith Harris volunteering his services for the shoot.
The empowered bodies themed calendar will celebrate the wild beauty, strength and power of women, regardless of age or size to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society and the panelist with RTE’s Today Show is proud to be involved in the project.
“I don’t even have to say it at this point but everyone has been touched by cancer, with one in two of us getting cancer over our lifetimes – that’s a scary statistic. We’ve had a very sad time around our little area in Delvin here with so many beloved neighbours passing away from cancer and then I lost my cousin two months ago. It was a no-brainer when Olivia came up with the charity and everyone was immediately on board.”
For one day, the gym will be converted to a studio where make-up will replace push-ups and Mary is full of praise for the women involved.
“They are incredible. The work they have already put in to make this happen, looking for sponsorships etc, they are the main players, I am very much a minor player in this.”
It seems fitting that the calendar was conceived and will be shot in a place where Mary, who will grace the October page, felt empowered from the moment she crossed the threshold.
“My vision for me is a wild version of age, the woman you might meet in the woods who is a little bit fascinating but a little bit scary. When I was looking for an image to show Olivia, I googled ‘old woman’ and while there is nothing wrong with being old, it was only when I changed the search to ‘cailleach’, meaning witch, that images I could get on board with came back. Images of the solitary woman, the woman in her power, the woman who doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her but also the woman who hasn’t given up and is strong.”
The calendars will be on sale from Empower Gym in time for Christmas and Mary is urging local businesses to support cancer research by stocking the calendar on their shelves or donating directly.
“We appreciate all the help we can get. Every woman in that calendar has their own story to tell. All the pages will be an expression of those stories. We all go to the gym, we want to be strong physically-strong and we want to be fit. This calendar will reflect that while raising funds for a very important cause.”
For more details, or to get involved, contact Olivia at hello@empowerment.fit
