Category- News.The students involved covered the visit of Mark Rohan to his old School Marist College.
Marist College , Athlone , Co Westmeath Roll no 63190M
Students.
-Liam Leahy.
-Tristram Ryan.
-Kevin o’ Meara.
-Killian Nagle.
-Patrick Dooner.
Teachers-Mr.Mick loftus Ms.Orla Mc Grath.
Hero Rohan revisits Marist College
Mark Rohan has been through a lot over the past 11 years, and he says himself that he wouldn’t be where he is today if it wasn’t for Marist College. He received a hero’s welcome when he returned to his old school with two Paralympic gold medals, just 13 years after doing his leaving cert in the college.
During his time in the Marist, he played a lot of sports; basketball, Gaelic football and soccer, even hurling. “I would do anything that would get me out of school”, he joked when asked about the sports he played in the Marist. His main love was Gaelic football. Through his time in the school, he played all grades, and represented Westmeath at underage level. After a successful leaving cert, he graduated with high hopes. However, he was in a very serious road accident in 2001, where he crashed his motorbike. Mark was left paralysed from the chest down.
After months of gruelling rehabilitation, he amazingly returned to playing sport. His drive, ambition and willingness to be successful must be admired. In 2007, he captained the Irish wheelchair basketball team in the Home Games. Of course, this was a great honour for him. Mark had achieved all he had set out to do with his basketball team. In 2009 he made the transition from wheelchair basketball to hand-cycling. He has never looked back. He is now a world champion and a double gold-medallist from his success at the 2012 London Paralympic Games. He won gold in the road race and also the men’s road time trial H1 event.
When he visited us here at his Alma Mater, Mark was very generous with the time he spent answering questions from students. Mainly speaking about motivation, Mark Rohan told us that “Heroes are made, not born”. “Nothing comes easy”, he would continually inform us. Mark claims he was always driven to be the best, and he admits he is still learning. He continually referred to his time as a student in the Marist, saying that it is not only a good choice if you want to achieve good grades, “It also makes you a man”.
“He is a hero, simple as” states a Transition Year student. Mr. Parker, one of his former teachers, and football coach described him as “A great student, a great footballer and most of all, a great person”.
Mark Rohan is determination personified.