Episode 4 - Grace O'Rourke

This is episode 4 of the AC Podcast – my name is Alex Collins and my guest today is truly an inspirational woman who I had the absolute pleasure of speaking with, Grace O’Rourke. So just to give a small bio on Grace before we get stuck into the podcast, Grace was the joint winner of RTE’s Ultimate Hell week and was the first woman in the history of the state to pass the elements of the Irish Rangers selection process. Now her interest to join the army all began back in 4th year of secondary school when she was selected to take part in the Gaisce defence forces 4 day challenge and it was from this moment on her passion to be in the army was ignited. Grace applied for the army three times in between pursuing her Sport and Exercise Science degree in the UK, but unfortunately was never successful. Despite all odds and setbacks Grace continued to follow her lifelong dream and decided to apply for the Special Forces ultimate Hell Week on RTE. Grace’s ability to push on and bounce back from various setbacks in her life is truly incredible - from being turned down by the Irish army three times, to nearly handing in her badge in the early stages of hell week and then ultimately winning the show and becoming the first woman in history to pass the selection process, displays an otherworldly amount of resilience. Her story is a real life example of why you should always stay true to yourself and never give up on your dreams. So without further a due, I hope you enjoy my conversation with the amazing Grace O’Rourke.