Overcoming All Odds: Speaker Shares Story of Faith and Courage
Just as his web address and Twitter handle indicate, St. Louis native John O’Leary most definitely inspires!
Addressing Upper and Middle School students and Principia community members during the first week of the semester, O’Leary shared a message of courage, faith, good old-fashioned grit . . . and the power of just one person to make a difference. His talk was part of the School’s recently launched 21st-Century Speaker Series, which ties in with the School’s vision of developing “21st-century citizens” who are innovators, selfless servers, ethical decision makers, lifelong learners, change agents, and effective communicators.
“The main reason we invited John O’Leary to come and speak [relates] to strengthening our culture,” said Head of School Travis Brantingham (US’94, C’98), when introducing the speaker to faculty. “John’s message can help us continue to think about resilience, overcoming limitations, seeing the power of gratitude in action . . . . His story aligns so beautifully with what we’re trying to do as a community.”
Recounting how he emerged from a horrific childhood accident that resulted in extensive injuries to live a productive, proactive, and purposeful life, O’Leary was blunt with the audience: “Life is not easy, faith is not easy, love is not easy,” he said. “But it’s worth it,” he concluded—especially when you realize that “God’s going to lead you through all the adversity . . . lead you perfectly to where he wants you to go in your life.”
What’s important to remember, O’Leary said, is that equipped with faith, a sense of gratitude for what we have, and a willingness to ask ourselves “What more can I do?” we can all be much-needed, inspiring examples.
With gentle humor and poignant reminiscences, O’Leary recounted examples of the many (some would say unlikely) heroes in his life: his older teenage brother and younger sisters, who came to his aid during the accident; the one lone student in high school who spoke up on his behalf; his parents, whose love never wavered (even though “I burned their house down!”); the generous support of their church congregation; and the tireless, ingenious encouragement of Jack Buck, the renowned radio announcer for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Visiting the nine-year-old O’Leary in the hospital the day after his accident, when no one expected the child to live, Buck delivered a succinct message in his trademark gravelly voice: "Kid, keep fighting." Day after day, this St. Louis icon returned to the bedside of a child he had never met before, offering the same tough-love message—empowering young John to return to school, relearn how to write (despite all his fingers having been amputated), and go on to graduate from college. Their friendship endured from 1987 until Buck’s death in 2002. (Read more about their remarkable relationship.)
Today, O’Leary is a happily married father of four as well as an in-demand motivational speaker and author—for both adults and youth. He radiates warmth and is not afraid to share his deeply held Christian beliefs. Overcoming his natural shyness, O’Leary actively shares encouragement and counsel—and even plays the piano at some of his talks, a finale that prompted a standing ovation at the end of his talk in Ridgway Auditorium.