John O’Leary Keynote Speaker at UMHS Graduation 2015 in NYC

UMHS is proud to feature the inspirational John O’Leary as our keynote speaker at UMHS Graduation at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City on Friday, June 5, 2015.

The UMHS Endeavour takes a short look at Mr. O’Leary and his amazing story, based on materials provided by John O'Leary and his lifestyle organization, Rising Above.

Back in 1987, 9-year-old John O’Leary was in the garage of his St. Louis, Missouri family home, playing with a match, a slip of paper and a can of gasoline. Young John was burned on 100% of his body and given a “less than one percent chance of surviving the first night.” While enduring nearly five months in the hospital, years of therapy, countless surgeries for skin grafts and, eventually, losing all his fingers to amputation, John developed a great appreciation for doctors and the medical community. This is why the UMHS Endeavour feels John O'Leary is a source of inspiration for graduates of UMHS, one of the leading Caribbean medical schools.

With the support of family, friends and even professional athletes, John overcame the burns on 100% of his body. However, once he returned home and learned to write and walk again, John and his family rarely spoke about the experience.

In 2008, John’s parents, Susan and Denny O’Leary, wrote Overwhelming Odds, the story of John and his family’s journey as a thank you to all of the family and friends who supported them on their journey to recovery. Nearly 60,000 copies have been sold to date. This book was the catalyst for John's speaking career; he began receiving requests to speak publicly and share his life mantra, “Take back your life, ignite your possibility and change the world.”

Started Speaking in 2005

John started speaking in 2005 to eight organizations. He has now partnered with more than 1,200 groups, in 47 states and nine countries. John started Rising Above, a lifestyle organization, back in 2008. Today, he speaks around the globe and shares his message with more than 50,000 people each year worldwide.

In 2012, John launched online programs to help audiences stay empowered after his keynote. His online program, "Spark! 21 Day Challenge to Ignite Your Possibility," is free to the public and can be accessed at http://johnolearyinspires.com/spark/

JOHN O'LEARY, KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT UMHS GRADUATION 2015: Motivational speaker & author John O'Leary will address the Class of 2015 on Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo: Courtesy of Rising Above/John O'Leary

Other Achievements

John also brings his experience, wisdom and expertise to his roles as chaplain at a children’s hospital and as an ambassador for Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

His many achievements include the following:

• In 2011, John was honored to receive the “Members Choice” Speaker Award from Vistage International. Selecting from thousands of speaker resources internationally, this award is presented to the highest rated speaker.
• In 2009, John was named one of the Top Ten “Most Interesting” People in St. Louis.
• John was the 2007 recipient of the St. Louis University Distinguished Young Alumni Award.
• In 2006, John was the Energizer “Keep Going” Hall of Fame inductee. (He shares this award with baseball great, Cal Ripken, Jr.)

John believes his greatest successes in life include his marriage to wife Beth and their four children, Jack, Patrick, Henry and Grace. Look for John's first book to be published by Simon & Schuster in March 2016: ON FIRE: 7 Choices to Ignite Your Radically Inspired Life.

Tomorrow, look for the article “Are We Happier Than We Used To Be?” by John O’Leary, originally published in Parade magazine and republished in the UMHS Endeavour courtesy of Rising Above and John O’Leary.

(Top photo) REACHING MORE THAN 50,000 EACH YEAR WORLDWIDE: Motivational speaker & author John O’Leary. Photo: Courtesy of Rising Above/John O’Leary

About UMHS:

Built in the tradition of the best US universities, the University of Medicine and Health Sciencesfocuses on individual student attention, maintaining small class sizes and recruiting high-quality faculty. We call this unique approach, “personalized medical education,” and it’s what has led to our unprecedented 96% student retention rate, and outstanding residency placements across the US and Canada. UMHS is challenging everything you thought you knew about Caribbean medical schools.