Rohan triumphs over adversity
April 30, 2011Mark Rohan is a truly remarkable and inspirational figure. Ten years ago, his life changed forever when he was left paralysed from the chest down as a result of injuries he suffered after falling off his motorcycle. But instead of feeling sorry for himself, he has bounced back to become a world champion in Paracycling (handcycling) and has high hopes of winning Paralympic gold in London next year.
Before his accident, the 29-year-old Ballinahown native was an emerging star of Castledaly and Westmeath football. He played full back for Westmeath in the 2001 Leinster under 21 championship and would also have been eligible for the grade in 2002.
"I was travelling to Tullamore to play a soccer match when the accident happened just three miles from my home in Ballinahown," he recalls of that fateful Sunday morning on November 4 2001.
"I had trained with the Westmeath under 21s in Shandonagh the evening before and we were due to play a challenge match the following day. But when that was called off, I decided to play the soccer game with Ballinahown instead. But the accident meant I never got to play that game or any game of Gaelic football or soccer since."
Mark admits he was "lucky" to survive the horror crash which left him with a catalogue of injuries, including four broken bones in his back, four compound fractures of his right leg, a broken left foot, four broken ribs, a torn Aorta, a broken sternum and a broken clavicle.
"There were Masses being said for me in the local churches. I was 'touch and go' for a few days after. A passer-by - Jim Dockery from Co. Tipperary - found me in a terrible state in the ditch. If it wasn't for his quick action, I mightn't have survived," he remembers.
Mark subsequently spent six months in the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire. A positive mental attitude, coupled with the support of his family and friends, helped him through his recovery and inspired him to take up sport again.
"It took me a while to come to terms with my injuries," he admits.
"My world was turned upside down, but I had the right attitude and was lucky to have a great network of family and friends to help me along. Being paralysed asked big questions of my spirit. From the outset I decided I was going to focus on the positives in my life, rather than the negatives. Sport is now a huge part of my life again.
"In many ways, the accident has given me a wonderful life. I have travelled the world to play sport. I have competed at a level of sport way beyond my wildest dreams. I have learned about my resilience, my inner-strength and the depth of support and love of my family and friends."
After his accident, the first sport Mark took up was wheelchair archery. However, he didn't find it physically challenging enough and decided to try his hand at wheelchair basketball instead. In between, he managed the Ballinahown soccer team for a season, leading them to league promotion and a cup final appearance, which they lost on penalties. He started the Athlone Wheelchair Basketball Club before joining Dublin Celtic who played a higher quality of opposition from both sides of the Irish Sea.
Mark's performances for Dublin Celtic earned him a call-up to the Irish team that competed in the 2004 European Championships in Portugal. Three years later, Ireland hosted the European Championships and Mark had the honour of captaining the host nation.
Mark, who studied Sports Management in UCD between 2006 and 2009, also played wheelchair tennis before making a name for himself in paracycling. "I bought a bike for cross-training and that's how I got into it," he explains.
"I went to the World Championships in Italy in 2009 totally blind in that I wasn't prepared for it. That lesson served me well as I came back to win the gold medal at last August's World Championships in Quebec, Canada. It was a great feeling to become Ireland's first ever Paracycling world champion."
Rohan's sights are now firmly set on next year's Paralympics in London, which take place a fortnight after the Olympic Games. On average, he trains about 17 hours a week and still manages to hold down a three-day-a-week job with the ESB in Dublin.
Just back from a month's base training in South Africa, Mark is grateful for the funding he receives from the Irish Sports Council and the Paralympic Council of Ireland. He is due to take part in a number of events around Europe in the coming months as he builds up to next year's Paralympics.
"I would love to win gold in the Paralympics in 2012, and will leave no stone unturned in my quest to do so. But winning isn't the be all and end all. Competing is the main thing - it's only a race at the end of the day," he says.
"I'm going to stick at this sport for another while, but my long-term goal is to work in sport. I really enjoy travelling and wouldn't mind working abroad. I'll probably go back to college to study for my Masters in Sports Management and take things from there."
Mark has fond memories of his GAA career with Castledaly and Westmeath, which was tragically cut short seven months before his 21st birthday. He cites his uncle, the late Mike Rohan, and George Casey, father of former Westmeath stars Russell, Joe and JP, as being major influences on his sporting life.
"My uncle Mike got me interested in sport. He played Gaelic for Doon and soccer for Ballinahown. I had the pleasure of playing soccer with him. Because all my family were from Offaly, I would have been expected to play for Doon, even though Ballinahown is in Westmeath. But because George Casey was the principal in Ballinahown National School, myself and Niall Kelly, who won a Leinster minor medal with Westmeath in 2000, ended up playing with Castledaly."
He continues: "I first played for the Castledaly under 10s when Joe Sheerin was the manager. The likes of PJ Hoey, Ollie McLoughlin and Johnny Connell were also doing great work with the underage at the time.
"We always seemed to reach finals, but didn't win one until we got to under 16. I remember we beat Killucan by 4-2 to 1-8 and I was captain."
Mark was blossoming into a fine footballer by the time he lined out at corner back for Marist College, Athlone in the 1999 Leinster Colleges SFC 'A' final against Good Counsel, New Ross. But despite being able to call on the services of future Westmeath players John Keane, Alan Claffey, Justin McAteer, Eoin Farrell, Gordon Duffy, Seanie O'Donoghue and PJ Ward, Marist lost out on a 0-8 to 1-7 scoreline to a side that would go on to lift the Hogan Cup.
Having been a member of the Westmeath minor panel in 1999 when Ambrose McGowan was manager, Mark was brought onto the following year's under 21 panel by Luke Dempsey. However, his involvement didn't extend beyond a couple of challenge games, meaning he missed out on a Leinster medal.
By 2001, Gaelic football - rather than soccer - was number one with Mark and he was selected at full back by then manager Eunan McCormack for the Leinster under 21 championship opener against Kildare in Mullingar. But a disastrous start proved Westmeath's undoing as their bid for a three-in-a-row of Leinster under 21 titles floundered.
"We had six of the previous year's team and definitely should have gone further. Kildare came flying out of the blocks and even though we made a great comeback towards the end, it wasn't enough," Mark ruefully reflects.
Despite his busy schedule, Rohan still maintains a keen interest in the GAA. He rejoiced in Castledaly's breakthrough Westmeath SFC triumph in 2008 and is looking forward to seeing how they fare out under their new manager and former Meath star Graham Geraghty this year.
"I try to get to a few Castledaly and Westmeath games every year. I was delighted to see Castledaly finally winning the championship in 2008 after their defeats in 2002 and 2004, and here's hoping that Graham Geraghty will be able to get the best out of them in the year ahead," he concludes. Tweet
Most Read Stories
