Alive and Kicking with Clare McKenna

This week Clare speaks with Jessica Cooke about Staying Fit over 40, Chris Sherlock on the personal story which had led to him being one of Ireland's biggest voices on bullying and Orla & Jeff Hopkins on the blood sweat and tears that led to them opening their leisure wear store on Grafton Street this week.

This week Clare speaks with Aidan O'Brien on what it means to come back to you, Conor Lennon on how blindness doesn't hold him back and we hear about the magic of Bumbleance; the children's medical transport service.

Shane Pearson has been working in health and wellness for over 20 years – starting out being coached, he has gone on to coach at individual and now helps coaches themselves to reach their full potential & A brain tumour diagnosis in the middle of the pandemic with a real possibility of having speech complications as a result of brain surgery led to taking chances, realising dreams and not taking no for an answer, Pamela Tully is a singer song writer from Dublin, and she joined Clare in studio

Clare speaks to Derval O'Rourke on how to bring health to the forefront of busy family life, Vaughan Yates on why less people are drinking alcohol and discusses the new trend in mood boosting mocktails and is the fuss around menopause necessary with Oonagh O'Hagan of Meaghers Pharmacy and Catherine O'Keefe The Wellness Warrior

Clare is joined by Dr Kate McCann to speak about her mission to make lifestyle medicine more accessible in our healthcare system moving us from sick care to true health care. Emilie Pine talks about the healing power of writing and her latest project centred around The National Maternity Hospital. And Kylie O'Donaghue tells Clare about her journey building women's nutritional supplements brand Femfuelz

Lisa Brennan was born with mild spina bifida and hip issues, in foster care, she left care age 18 as many do due to support to their foster family being cut but as she spent much of her life in a wheelchair she found getting a place to live and a job nigh on impossible. Lisa has faced so much adversity but has such an incredible story and she joins Clare to tell it. And Brother Richard is a Franciscan Friar whose poem lockdown went viral during the pandemic – it led to his book Still Points - A Guide to Living the Mindful, Meditative Way and he joins Clare in studio to talk about the importance of making time for reflection

Kamal Ibrahim is an Irish television presenter, film and theatre producer, public speaker and he was also the winner of Mister World having won the competition held in South Korea on 27 March 2010. He's also an ambassador for Breast Cancer Ireland's Great Pink Run and he joined Clare to speak about the run and his family's experience of cancer. Pauline Rowdich started out as a Garda but her gut told her she should be on another path – after many twists and turns she has now made her career helping others tap into their intuition. She joins Clare to discuss her book "Just Trust"

Kyrie Farm is a proposed mental health recovery centre which will build a community on site allowing people to heal and integrate into a society away from a clinical setting. It's a concept which has worked well in the US and there is a similar farm in Cork. Clare spoke with John McKeon – founder, director and board member, Dr Eoin Galavan – Clinical Psychologist for HSE North Dublin & Director on board and Martin Rogan – CEO of Mental Health Ireland. Did you know that Irish women are 5 times more likely to die from heart related issues than breast cancer and so the 'Her Heart Matters' Campaign aims to encourage women to make vital, sustainable changes to their health. Clare spoke with JT Treanor, Health Promotion and Information Training Team at Irish Heart Foundation

The fabulous pharmacist Laura Dowling was working at a chemist counter for years and sharing her no-nonsense approach to health and wellness on her Instagram page. As her followers started to mount, she began to consider making a change. She joins Clare to talk about making the leap from the pharmacy to set up her own business. Brian Pennie, author, speaker, Ph.D. candidate, university lecturer, life-change strategist, and recovering addict joins Clare to talk about how change is possible.

Dr. Heather McKee is a behaviour change specialist and international keynote speaker. She has had several of her papers published looking at why we do, or don't, do what we do. She talks to Clare about why developing skill power over willpower will always go further. Dietician Orla Walsh joins Clare to talk about her experience of migraines and how sometimes we can mis-read the triggers. And psychotherapist Owen O'Kane was on the show a couple of years back talking about how ten minutes a day can really improve your mental health. He joins Clare to discuss his latest book 'How to Be Your Own Therapist'.