The power of sharing a story
Meath footballer Cillian O’Sullivan has urged the public to embrace the ‘superpower’ of reading as he backed a major fundraiser for MS Ireland. The Moynalvey club man has been living with the neurological condition, which came as a ‘bolt out of the blue’ in late 2023.
And he told how acknowledging the rollercoaster of emotions through therapy has helped him to manage it.
The 31-year-old clinical psychologist, who lives in Dublin with wife Caoimhe, is now encouraging the nation to sign up to this year’s MS Readathon, calling it a way to unlock learning and raise vital funds for MS services.
One of Ireland’s longest-running charity events, it has inspired a love of reading among young people across the country for the past 39 years. “MS is one of the most common neurological conditions in the country. I would be upfront about it, sharing my diagnosis with close friends and family,” said O’Sullivan.
“I would have been in therapy before I had the diagnosis, so I knew the benefit of going back and talking about the feelings; the anxiety, the fear and the shame, and working through those rather than locking them in a room.”
As a child at Gaelscoil na Ríthe in Dunshaughlin, taking part in the MS Readathon transported him to a world of wonder and learning.
“In a way your ability to read and to discern is a superpower,” said the inter-county star.
After his diagnosis, Cillian said one of the first things he did was to research athletes and MS because he knew that the power of stories allows us to understand that others have walked the path before us.
“I think if I can be helpful to anyone in any way by being authentic about it and being open and honest, I want to be. You get messages of support when you share your story.
“I don’t see any shame or feel any fear about that. We are a country where shame was weaponised quite a lot and we have to address that.”
Taking part in the MS Readathon is simple – after registering at msreadathon.ie, participants are encouraged to read as many books as possible between 1st November and 15th December, while seeking sponsorship from family and friends to raise funds.