In today’s world, we tend to take many things for granted. Everyday tasks like walking, talking and eating can seem like a right instead of a privilege. However, many people aren’t afforded the ability to perform these tasks. Imagine waking up one day, and someone telling you that you can no longer walk. How would you handle it? Many people wouldn’t know what to do with themselves. Some folks would feel as if their days of happiness were over, and their dreams were no longer achievable. Even so, many people face these types of issues daily and choose to keep pressing forward, rather than giving up on their goals. One man who overcame such feats is Irish Olympic gymnast Kieran Behan.
Born in Croydon, London, to Irish parents Phil and Bernie, as a child, Behan developed a love for gymnastics. He practiced every day and had dreams of becoming an Olympic athlete. Despite his dedication, no one could predict what would happen next. At the age of 10, a cancerous tumor was discovered in his thigh. While performing the operation to remove the tumor, the doctors made an error causing the surgery to go bad. The atrocious operation caused Behan to awaken from the anesthesia screaming in pain from massive nerve damage. Due to this, doctors told Behan that he would never walk again.
Behan continued to persevere. After 15 months of being confined to a wheelchair, Behan defied the odds and returned to gymnastics training. However, his return would be short-lived as another setback would occur. Not long after his return, Behan fell off the high bar during a training session. This fall caused him to have massive injuries, including brain damage and damage to his inner ear. The after effects of these injuries manifested via frequent blackouts. The blackouts made a simple task like blinking a challenge because blinking led to blindness. The injuries also had an impact on his balance and coordination skills. Again, Behan found himself confined to a wheelchair. Once again, Behan took on the challenge of overcoming his injuries. The recovery process for Behan was grueling as he had to retrain his brain and reclaim his coordination. He returned to school with the use of a walking stick and to the taunts of his classmates. It took Behan three years to recover from his injuries.
Behan returned to the gym and began to perform well. So well, in fact, that he was selected to represent Ireland in the European Championships.
As you can guess, the injury bug would bite Behan again as he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) six weeks before he was set to compete. To make matters worse, Behan then tore his ACL in the opposite knee a month later.
By this time, Behan’s own country of Ireland had given up on him. After he recovered from his knee injuries, he was set to compete in the 2011 World Championships in Tokyo. However, the Irish Sports Council informed him that they would not fund his travel expenses. Instead, Behan raised nearly 12,ooo euros ($14,244 in American money) through family support, bake sales and other fundraisers. Behan made the trip to Tokyo and succeeded in becoming the Challenge World Cup floor champion.
One year later, his greatest moment of glory occurred when he qualified for the London 2012 Olympics. He had become an Olympic athlete after enduring terrible pain, unnecessary trauma and multiple setbacks.
With that said, in my 24 years on this Earth, I’ve learned that getting down on yourself is normal. However, it becomes an issue when a person decides to stay down. People put so much energy into complaining, when they could be putting that same energy into finding a solution to their issues. I scroll through social media and see people complaining about minor things like wearing masks or not having their family’s names in the newspaper, when other people are suffering real pain. A person woke up today unable to walk a step or see their loved one. Another person woke up not knowing how they will provide food for their children. However, people still feel the need to complain about petty objects.
Instead of complaining and being negative, people should take time to see the blessings in their lives. I understand. We all go through battles in life, but complaining all the time isn’t going to make your situations any better. Behan had every reason in the world to complain, but through his attitude and determination, he transformed himself into an Olympic athlete.
Behan fought through and overcame cancer, nerve damage, torn ligaments, and the inability to walk. Despite all of this, he still worked hard and became someone great. Avoid letting your current circumstances prevent you from achieving greatness in the future. Pick yourself up and keep fighting .
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