Meet Adaptive Athlete: John O'Neil

John is originally from Minnetonka, Minnesota. Growing up, he enjoyed playing team sports, specifically football and rugby. After graduating from Minnetonka High School, John attended University of Wisconsin - Madison for his undergraduate studies. He then went on to graduate from law school at Northwestern University in Chicago and has enjoyed a fulfilling legal career in the years since.

 

John contracted a virus that led to myocarditis. In October 2023, he experienced complete organ failure and flatlined for over 12 minutes. For the next six weeks, John was in and out of a coma. His colon also perforated during that time period. When he finally left the hospital almost three months later he was unable to walk and had peripheral neuropathy from the waist down. John worked with a physical therapist twice a day, five days a week during his recovery from hospitalization. He was in a wheelchair until December 2024. Although John is now able to walk with a cane and ankle-foot orthotics, he still experiences severe nerve pain.

 

During his time in the ReDefine program, John wants to find clarity in his mission and purpose. His big “why” is his family, faith, and health. Early on in his recovery post-illness, he found himself zeroing in too much on physical achievements and realized that he needed to invest more in appreciating the person he was becoming on this journey. John knows he will work every day for the rest of his life to walk unaided again, but will also work on becoming and staying happy with who he is regardless of his physical abilities. He believes that his time at ATF can aid him in that pursuit.