Irish scholar Mark Rohan was one of the stars of the 2012 Paralympic Games after winning two gold medals in London.

The former Castledaly and Westmeath footballer secured the coveted golds in the H1 road race and men's individual time trial events at Brands Hatch.

Rohan proved that anything is possible by overcoming horrific spinal injuries sustained in a motorcycling accident to become Ireland's first ever Paracycling world champion.

Before his accident, the 29-year-old Ballinahown native was an emerging star of Castledaly and Westmeath Gaelic 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.

He 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.

After his accident, the first sport Rohan took up was wheelchair archery but, he didn't find it physically challenging enough and decided to try his hand at wheelchair basketball instead. He also managed the Ballinahown soccer team for a season, leading them to league promotion and a Cup Final appearance. 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.

His 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. Rohan, who studied Sports Management in UCD between 2006 and 2009, also played wheelchair tennis before making a name for himself in Paracycling.

He got into Paracycling after buying a bike for cross-training. In 2010, he went to the World Championships in Quebec, Canada, where he won the gold.

He 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.