Operation Transformation leader Thomas opens up about friend’s death

It was an emotional episode of Operation Transformation this week.

Leader Thomas Hynes was left devastated when he learned that his friend Mick had passed away whilst he was filming the show.

Thomas said Mick had sent him a text message last Wednesday and “his wife said on Saturday night that he was so looking forward to watching the show”.

He went on to say: “I had a very close brush with death and it didn’t happen to me, thank goodness. And it’s so important to me, even more so now, to get that message out there.”

“I’m thinking about his family and his wife and his kids, it was tough.”

On the day of his friend’s funeral, Thomas took to the streets of his hometown Granard in Longford to take part in a fitness challenge. But he didn’t have to do it alone.

200 members of the community all cheered him on in support.

“To see that level of support, that really brought me up three or four steps again. I was strong enough to come through the heart attack. I was strong enough to apply to Operation Transformation. I was strong enough to do all of that and I was strong enough to do all that and do it for Mick,” he explained.

He added that the loss of his friend has made him even more determined to continue on his journey in Operation Transformation.

It was definitely an emotional episode.