Julie O’Leary is a farmer’s daughter. She is the eldest girl with three brothers and is engaged to David. She has a degree in psychology from UCC, a master’s in journalism from NUIG and works as a communications professional. And oh yeah, she has cerebral palsy.

“My disability comes last,” announces Julie as we meet ahead of the Women & Agriculture Conference. “It’s part of me, but it’s not who I am.”

In fact, Julie says she often surprises people.

“I was at a meeting recently for work and I had been dealing with a person over the phone for weeks. When he came into the meeting I was sitting down, but afterwards I stood up with my sticks and I could tell by his face that it was only then did he realise I had a physical disability.”

Well able to get the job done, Julie says it’s the ordinary things that people are surprised by.

“I’m just plugging away, doing what I do. People say to me: ‘Wow you drive a car.’ And my reply is: ‘Well I am 30 and I have to get to work some way.’

This can-do attitude has always been encouraged from day one by her parents, Tim and Katherine O’Leary. Many know Katherine as a columnist in Irish Country Living, who often writes about Julie, but we felt it was time for this determined young lady to tell her story for herself.

“My parents have always encouraged me to live my own life, to make my own decisions. When I was eight, doctors were talking to them about a potential surgery for me. There were some pros to the surgery as well as some very real cons. And I remember them saying to me: ‘Do you want to get this surgery done? It’s your body, so you should have a say. Do you need us to help you understand? We’re not going to have to live with the consequences, you are.’ Of course, they directed me as my parents, but it was my choice not to get the surgery and it was the right decision.”

That’s part of the reason why Julie is so active as an advocate for people with disabilities.

“I know what it’s like for people to underestimate you and I know what it’s like for people to see you exactly for who you are, and there is a big difference.”

“My brother, Diarmuid, has Down’s syndrome and my passion for rights for people with disabilities is all- encompassing.”

Julie has certainly had her say. She sat on the National Council for Special Education from 2009 to 2012, and is now part of the forum. As well as being on the education sub-committee of Inclusion Ireland, she also lectures at UCC and NUIG and writes a column in the Evening Echo.

It’s not all work and no play for this lady though.

“My motto in life is to celebrate achievements and the good things in life.”

And there will certainly be lots of celebrating this year as Julie is set to marry David, who is also from a farm in west Cork.

With a broad smile on her face she say: “He is the perfect man for me. He has cerebral palsy as well, but, as he would say himself, he is a good bit better than me. He has the perfect balance in that he can help me, but he also completely understands me. Even the stuff that I try to disguise from everybody else, he gets, which is just massive.”

Julie’s talk will show us just what can be achieved when we put our mind to it.

“Every night when I go to sleep, I think, what did I achieve today? Even if it’s just I got up and showed up, that’s better than nothing. And even if you’re having a bad day, you’ll more than likely achieve something along the way.”