Meet the Armagh woman whose '30 before 30' challenge puts New Year's resolutions to shame
Her mission met its end at five minutes to midnight on Wednesday December 27
New Year's resolutions. We have all set one or two in our time and - as we start into the first week of the New Year - many of us will now be commencing resolutions or setting goals and challenges for 2024. Imagine setting 30 of them... and getting all 30 done before the year is out!
Sarah Teggart, from Newtownhamilton, has done just that. Whilst her challenge wasn't strictly a New Year's resolution, it came to fruition in January of 2023.
Known as a '30 things to do before I'm 30' challenge, Sarah set herself a list of 'to-dos' just after her 28th birthday on December 2022. Speaking to Armagh I, she has described this past year as her 'best year ever.'
Of the original idea, Sarah said: "I think it was around January that myself and my other half started talking about doing Hell & Back. I had never done anything like that but I want to do it and I started thinking about all the stuff I haven't done and wanted to do."
The seed was planted and the idea grew from there. Before she knew it, she had not only committed to completing 'Ireland's toughest physical and mental challenge' but she had also committed to achieving a further 29 tasks including climbing Slieve Gullion, adopting a cat, drinking a stein of beer, catching a Belfast Giants game, driving a motorbike and seeing a West End show.
Whilst the initial list saw slight amendments as the year unfolded, a solid 20 - 25 items stayed the course.
Perhaps, staying the course is Sarah's greatest achievement of all. With The Mirror reporting that 'over 90 per cent of New Year’s resolutions will be abandoned in just a few months' Sarah has demonstrated incredible self-discipline in achieving all she set out to.
She says it was all down to setting a few good 'ground rules'. "It had to be stuff that was feasible to do, not going on a cruise for example, it had to be stuff that I wouldn't have to rely on anyone else for, and it had to be something I hadn't done before but wanted to do" said Sarah.
Many people - enthused by her new undertaking - were keen to give her suggestions. However, the ideas were often outlandish, threatening to absorb too much time or money. So, Sarah stuck to her ground rules, keeping it simple where possible to increase her chances of success.
Out of all 30, she was most proud of completing Hell & Back. Describing herself as "not the most physically capable person" she said the challenge - which she completed in County Wicklow alongside boyfriend Sean - really "pushed her" but she would "100% do it again!"
She also loved her trips to Clare, Galway and Waterford as they were the last three counties in Ireland she had yet to visit. These trips saw the completion of a 'mission within a mission' as 2023 became the year she completed visitation of all 32 counties in Ireland.
Several aspects of Sarah's life have now changed long term. She has joined a walking club, learnt languages, given up cigarettes, added a new addition to her household - rescuing Guinness the cat from the USPCA in Newry - and joined Armagh Theatre Group.
Said Sarah: "I'm sure everyone in my life is delighted that I've turned 30 because it's all I talked about for so long.
"But I am really pleased with myself that I've done it. There's stuff on the list like cook a roast dinner, bake a cake, that is really normal to do but I just had never done it. Some of the things were really just for me to say I can do that!"
Her mission met its end at five minutes to midnight on Wednesday December 27. Turning the final page of James Joyce's Dubliners signified - not only achievement of her 20 book Goodreads challenge - but the end of '30 things to do before I'm 30'.
"29 [years of age] has been my best year ever, I've had so much fun doing all this random, weird stuff" said Sarah.
Her advice to anyone setting their own resolutions: "Lay down some ground rules. Don't put on a load of stuff that realistically you won't achieve in a year. It would be better if you had someone with you so try to include things that you can do with other people. Do things that won't break the bank and stuff that you actually want to do. Take the excuse to do it and get it done!"
Here is Sarah's full list of '30 things to do before I'm 30':
Climb Slieve Gullion
Go to greyhound races
Cook a roast dinner
Visit Galway, Clare and Waterford
Go to a Belfast Giants game
Adopt a cat
Harry Potter Studios
Volunteer somewhere
Do up the front room
Do a tourist tour of Armagh
Get a tattoo
Carve a Halloween pumpkin
Make homemade ice cream
Place (and hopefully win) a bet on sports
Bake a cake
See a show on the West End
Walk 100km in one month (joined walking club)
Do Hell & Back
See an artist play live that I haven't seen before
Seamus Heaney's homeplace
Drive a motorbike
Complete my Goodread's challenge
Drink a stein of beer
Learn another language
Go to the Cavern Club
Do a play
Quit cigarettes
Earn my gold Fáinne again
London Eye
Croke Park tour
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Previous Issues…
Adieu to another record breaking year – here's to an even bigger 2024!
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