Peter Ryan – Keynote Speaker

As a charismatic and empathic speaker who has a strong rapport with audiences, Paralympian Peter Ryan, who is legally blind, invites people to get out of their comfort zones and make the best of their life. And his own story is proof that it is possible.

Peter has a powerful personal story: a promising athlete who when he found himself losing his sight, slid into alcoholism. It was only through his family’s intervention that he ended up in recovery. He speaks regularly at events, for clients of all varieties and scales. It’s the commonalities in his story that resonate with audiences: life can go awry at any time, but Peter shows how we can change our mindset and live a life in and of balance.

The man who at 15 had an international soccer trial was 18 when his eyesight began to fail and 20 when he was diagnosed with Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy which left him with between 5 and 10 percent peripheral vision. Grieving, unable to cope with the loss of identity, and without a job or sport to occupy him, Peter’s thoughts became ‘totalitarian’. He realised he needed a new ‘script’ for life.

Sport became the first step back towards a semblance of normality. Peter discovered a talent for cycling which resulted in him dedicating 10 years to high performance cycling. He competed in the Paralympics in Rio in 2016. His sports endeavors raised a total of €250,000, showcasing his commitment to using sports as a powerful means for positive impact. Fully immersed in the concept of well-being, he recognized the potential of sports for societal good and observed the public’s connection to it, inspiring his venture into the realm of sports endurance. Subsequently, in 2018, Peter achieved a historic milestone as the first Paralympic athlete to complete the challenging race around Ireland, covering 2,252km in 122 hours. This effort raised crucial funds for a local cause close to his heart. Taking on a new challenge, Peter transitioned into ultra-endurance running. On October 8, 2023, he made history as the first person with a disability to run from Malin to Mizen, covering a remarkable 586km in 5 days for charity.

In his talks, Peter speaks about self-limiting beliefs and the ways we can ‘train our brain’ so that we can live a full, integrated life. He shows, through his own experience, how to move from a place where we are out of tune with ourselves, to one in which our public and private selves exist in harmony.

With his mantra of Control – Influence – Accept, Peter leaves audiences with a new outlook on their own lives. His honesty on his journey over the past decade offers an extremely insightful and in-depth look at mental health and the end results of not coping properly with life’s adversities.