Ronan Rooney (born March 27, 1960) is an Irish

Paralympic The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

athlete in table tennis who has competed in six

Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

Career

Born in Louth, Ireland in 1960, he became disabled after falling off a motorbike aged 18. Formerly he was a track and field athlete who won Bronze in the men's marathon 1B at the

1984 Summer Paralympics The 1984 International Games for the Disabled, canonically the 1984 Summer Paralympics were the seventh Paralympic Games to be held. There were two separate competitions: one in Stoke Mandeville, England, United Kingdom for wheelchair athletes ...

. From 1988 onwards he has switched to singles and teams table tennis for Ireland. But not since then has he won another medal. Ronan made his official return after a 12-year absence from the Paralympics in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

, playing once again in men's singles and teams. This time, his wife, Rena McCarron Rooney, took part in women's table tennis, and they are believed to be the only married couple competing in the London Paralympics.

References

Paralympic athletes of Ireland 1960 births Living people Athletes (track and field) at the 1984 Summer Paralympics Table tennis players at the 1988 Summer Paralympics Table tennis players at the 1992 Summer Paralympics Table tennis players at the 1996 Summer Paralympics Table tennis players at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Table tennis players at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Paralympic bronze medalists for Ireland Medalists at the 1984 Summer Paralympics Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field) Irish male wheelchair racers {{Paralympic-medalist-stub