Mark Rohan
DOB: 26/ 7/1981 Event: Hand-cycling Residence: Co. Westmeath, Ireland. Flag: GBR
By Emma Bird
Last Updated: 23/08/12 5:00pm
As a former world hand-cycling champion, Mark Rohan will be one of the favourites for gold at this summer's Paralympic Games in London.
The 31-year-old, who became Ireland's first ever Paracycling world champion, began his sporting career playing Gaelic football.
However, he suffered a motorcycling accident in 2001 which saw his footballing dreams shatter. Despite this, after six months in the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire, Rohan was inspired to take up sport once more.
The Irishman played wheelchair archery, basketball and tennis before he made it in paracycling, and since finding the sport, he has not looked back.
In 2010 Rohan won gold at the World Championships in Canada as well as the European hand-cycling title. He claimed silver at the UCI Paracycling World Cup road race in Spain.
The following year Mark created Paracycling history by becoming the first ever athlete to win six World Cup Gold Medals in a row on his way to winning the 2011 UCI Paracycling Road World Cup in Canada, and since then he has been honing his condition to ensure he is in his best form yet in London.
