Famous Irish - A Doctor, an Olympian and an Irish Tenor

Dr. Ronan Tynan is an inspiration to people like me, who have suffered injuries that might have left them unable to walk had they listened to conventional knowledge about medical conditions. When one works with doctors who have the skill of looking to the future and searching for alternative means of hopeful treatments, recovery is found to be much more complete than predicted by the medical community average estimates.

After an accident in which my left foot was partially severed from my leg at the ankle, the example of Ronan Tynan was one that reinforced my belief that despite what some doctors said, I would not be permanently disabled. I received a 60% estimate of recovery, but worked that estimate into 100% recovery with physical therapy exercises and the martial arts exercises I already practiced.

"Faith is the bird that feels the light and sings when the dawn is still dark."

Believing in one's doctors and treatments, persisting in exercise, and believing it all will work does a magical turn for many patients. When Dr. Tynan lost his own legs, I think he never thought about a chance for other than full recovery.

Ronan Tynan is a physician that lost both legs to amputation at age 20.He was born without the bones of the lower legs and decided to have them amputated and fitted with prostheses. The world largely knows about Oscar Pistorius, but not about Paralympian Ronan Tynan.

Soon after double amputation, Tynan was walking just a few weeks later. Then he trained hard and became am 18-time Gold Medalist in the Paralympic Games. Not only that, but he also set 14 World Records between 1981 - 1984 in international competitions.

During the 1984 and 1988 Summer Paralympics, Ireland won a total of 33 Gold Medals; Tynan won 18 of these medals in Athletics events, over half of the total golds won by his country. It was a banner year for Ireland.

Tynan recently joined the famous Irish Tenors group, which performs internationally. In addition, he won the International Operatic Singing Competition in France and received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2012.

I cannot stop being impressed by the depth of spirit and determination in this man and in the quality of his song. He is a wonderful vocal artist and I can listen to his rendition of The Impossible Dream continually.

Ronan was the first physically challenged person to ever be admitted to the National College of Physical Education. As an MD, he researched and treated Orthopedic Sports Injuries that included the treatment of prosthetic devices.

Ronan Tynan has performed on television, with the Boston Pops, at Rangers Hockey games, at President Reagan's funeral, for charities and 911 survivor families, and in The Crystal Cathedral on telecasts of The Hour of Power. When he walks up to the microphone to perform, no one can tell that he does not have natural limbs.

Like famous athletes Aimee Mullens and Oscar Pistorius, Tynan in an example of overcoming physical disabilities through sports and technology.

He has been profiled on 20/20 by Barbara Walters. To add to all this, Ronan owns a jumping competition racehorse named Norm that wins big stakes Jumping Competitions regularly.

This is what a hero does.

• U.S. Paralympic Team
• International Paralympic Committee | IPC -- "In 1948, Sir Ludwig Guttmann organized a sports competition involving World War II veterans with a spinal cord injury in Stoke Mandeville, England. Four years later, competitors from the Netherlands joined the games and an international movement was
• The Olympic Movement -- Video, photos, information, news, forums. Site of upcoming Olympic Games and athletes in the 21st Century.