Sheep grazing on the delightfully named Cuckoo Hill in Roscommon was a common vista in the past. Now, you’re more likely to see groups running up and down the incline in a bid to get fit at an outdoor bootcamp facility created on the family farm by Tommie Costello.

While outdoor fitness and exercising in nature all year round is certainly enjoying its moment in the sun post-Covid, it wasn’t so de rigueur when Tommie first came up with the idea more than a decade ago now. That was several years before RTÉ’s Ireland’s Fittest Family captured the public imagination, and the idea of moving through muddy bog holes, jumping through tyres or under nets was an unusual prospect, particularly in a rural setting.

“People said I was mad, but I said, ‘I’ll try it and see, and if it doesn’t work, I can go at something else’. Thank God, it has gone from strength to strength and grown [since then],” he says.

Having worked in the pub trade for years and knowing he would never be a farmer, fitness fan Tommie decided it was time to change direction. He had a new vision for the land at home in Taughmaconnell, and that revolved around exercise and wellbeing on the farm.

So, he returned to college to study strength and conditioning and to become a personal trainer, convinced that the unique set-up of fitness in the countryside could be a winner.

Keeping it interesting

Starting from scratch in 2012, he put trails through the land, adding gradually as time went on in a bid to keep it interesting.

His clients now range from club and county teams to schools and individuals who travel from around the region for classes, events, camps, or team bonding.

And he has made substantial progress in the interim. The fitness facility now has a range of running trails through the land, an obstacle course where you go under nets and do rope climbing, muddy bog holes etc, a fairy garden, areas for circuit training and team bonding, all using the woodland, hills, pasture, and forest.

“It’s using the family land, and what I’ve tried to do is to keep it as natural as possible. We work with logs or lifting sandbags, going up and down hills, so we’ve kept it as natural as possible using the terrain that’s there,” Tommie says of the ethos of the bootcamp, which is now spread over more than 20 acres.

“We have a lot of places where we can do team bonding; we have an area where we have all our boxing bags up, we do Hang Tough [strength training using kettlebells], and a lot of the Ireland’s Fittest Family stuff, so we cater for everything really,” adds the Roscommon native.

All fitness levels and ages are looked after here, and Tommie can tailor workouts to the needs of individuals or groups and teams. From a nervous beginner to a club or county team who wants a tough physical session to someone who wants a fun indoor fitness session to music with a chat afterwards, all are catered for.

People said I was mad, but I said, ‘I’ll try it and see, and if it doesn’t work, I can go at something else

With so many people working from home or glued to screens, there is a growing appreciation of being able to get fit off-road in the great outdoors, he believes.

“There are a lot of people who go to the gym, but it is lovely to be outside, to have some fresh air. But the roads are dangerous now, so it’s not that easy to go out running,” points out Tommie.

A keen runner himself, he is convinced of the benefits of a group setting to motivate people to keep going, whatever their goals.

With January traditionally a time where people evaluate their fitness or lack thereof after an indulgent Christmas, what’s Tommie’s advice for getting healthy in 2025?

“Well, I think the big thing is to start small, but what people seem to forget is it is all about consistency. There is no point in someone starting in January and doing five days in a row and then the following week they don’t do anything.

“I think if people did two days a week and were consistent and did it long-term, it’s amazing [the benefits they will see]. And maybe [then] look at other things they can improve on; I think that’s what makes the difference.

“You have to remember that fitness is not just about losing weight; we have to change our mindset [on that]. It’s about health and wellbeing, and if you do it for that reason, you’ll stay doing it and not put yourself under pressure,” explains Tommie.

For anyone hesitant about giving bootcamp classes a try or restarting their fitness goals, Tommie advises them to speak to him for guidance, and give it a try: “Just because something doesn’t suit someone else doesn’t mean it won’t suit you.”

Clearly passionate about what he does, he feels “blessed” to be able to live and work in the countryside, just a stone’s throw from his mother Bridie, who is 89. He relishes seeing people getting out, getting active, and blossoming at Cuckoo Hill Bootcamp, whatever their fitness is coming in the door.

“I love to see people improving; to see people coming and going away with a smile. So, if it’s a group of kids coming to a camp, I just love it, and I’ll know all their names by the end. It’s great to see that they want to come back again,” he says.

While Covid-19 was hugely challenging for the business, Tommie didn’t rest on his laurels. Instead, he used the time to improve facilities by converting several sheds into a new indoor space for classes and changing rooms. He also put in a gravel running track with lights so it could be used all year round.

Tommie is not finished either. He is keen to keep on improving and hopes to set up tea rooms on-site, host a weekend of activities – something akin to Hell Week and set up overnight camping trips for students.

There’s also the small matter of a half marathon in Italy in April – wearing the bootcamp’s luminous green vests with his three sons Eoin, Shane and Conor.

See @cuckoo_hill_bootcamp on Instagram and Facebook.