WEBVTT 00:00:04.430 --> 00:00:12.012 position:50% align:middle - [Barbara] First we have the amazing saga of Ronan Tynan, whose extraordinary accomplishments and 00:00:12.012 --> 00:00:17.174 position:50% align:middle voice echoed across thousands of miles and into your hearts. 00:00:21.651 --> 00:00:26.830 position:50% align:middle - [Voiceover] Ronan Tynan always had a wildness in him that often sent him in several directions at once, 00:00:26.830 --> 00:00:32.090 position:50% align:middle despite the fact that he was born with legs that were shortened and deformed below the knee. 00:00:32.090 --> 00:00:37.790 position:50% align:middle Ronan knew there was one person who always treated him as if he didn't care how Ronan looked or walked. 00:00:37.790 --> 00:00:39.037 position:50% align:middle His father Edmund, 00:00:39.037 --> 00:00:44.440 position:50% align:middle who encouraged Ronan to sing as they crossed the fields, and also bought him a white pony named Sunbeam 00:00:44.440 --> 00:00:48.150 position:50% align:middle to ride, hoping it might help strengthen his legs. 00:00:48.150 --> 00:00:51.120 position:50% align:middle And he soon began to ride in competitions. 00:00:51.120 --> 00:00:56.400 position:50% align:middle But the complications predicted by doctors because of his deformed legs eventually set in. 00:00:56.400 --> 00:01:02.210 position:50% align:middle And Ronan himself made the decision to have his legs amputated below the knee so he could wear prosthetic 00:01:02.210 --> 00:01:05.240 position:50% align:middle legs that would allow him to stand straighter. 00:01:05.240 --> 00:01:10.263 position:50% align:middle He began training for and entering games for the disabled, including world Olympic competitions in 00:01:10.263 --> 00:01:11.942 position:50% align:middle New York and Seoul, Korea. 00:01:11.942 --> 00:01:18.300 position:50% align:middle And between 1981 and '84, won 18 gold medals and set 14 world records. 00:01:18.300 --> 00:01:23.530 position:50% align:middle The unstoppable Ronan, at the age of 27, caught his family unprepared when he called one night 00:01:23.530 --> 00:01:25.270 position:50% align:middle to announce a new decision. 00:01:25.934 --> 00:01:28.710 position:50% align:middle - [Fiona] He rang me one night and he said, "I want to do medicine." 00:01:28.710 --> 00:01:30.830 position:50% align:middle I said, "You what?" 00:01:30.830 --> 00:01:31.900 position:50% align:middle "I want to do medicine." 00:01:31.900 --> 00:01:36.390 position:50% align:middle - And by the age of 33, he had again accomplished the goal of a lifetime. 00:01:36.390 --> 00:01:40.410 position:50% align:middle Ronan Tynan was a doctor, assigned to his first year of internship 00:01:40.410 --> 00:01:42.420 position:50% align:middle at a Dublin hospital. 00:01:42.420 --> 00:01:46.860 position:50% align:middle As a lark in his spare time, Dr. Tynan entered a national talent show called 00:01:46.860 --> 00:01:49.357 position:50% align:middle "Go For It" in 1994. 00:01:58.300 --> 00:02:02.086 position:50% align:middle - [Presenter] The winner of "Go For It" 1994, Dr. Ronan Tynan. 00:02:02.976 --> 00:02:08.830 position:50% align:middle - The department heads at the hospital in Dublin, they took up a collection so that Ronan could go 00:02:08.830 --> 00:02:12.410 position:50% align:middle off to England to study voice. 00:02:12.410 --> 00:02:17.000 position:50% align:middle As always, when he reached one goal after another, he seemed invincible 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:22.030 position:50% align:middle until the night he was asked to do an encore and pleaded to his conductor that his voice 00:02:22.030 --> 00:02:22.680 position:50% align:middle wouldn't make it. 00:02:22.680 --> 00:02:27.710 position:50% align:middle - It was really traumatic because Ronan had decided to give singing a real try. 00:02:27.710 --> 00:02:31.810 position:50% align:middle And I remember having to, you know, ring people back that maybe would have booked 00:02:31.810 --> 00:02:36.460 position:50% align:middle six months, nine months in advance and saying, "Look, I am terribly sorry, I'm going to have to cancel." 00:02:36.460 --> 00:02:38.870 position:50% align:middle - So, Ronan Tynan returned home. 00:02:38.870 --> 00:02:43.550 position:50% align:middle And he did what he had trained six years to do, he opened a medical practice. 00:02:43.550 --> 00:02:49.660 position:50% align:middle But having collected dreams as if they grew like wildflowers, he was also well aware of the rumors that 00:02:49.660 --> 00:02:52.260 position:50% align:middle he was done. 00:02:52.260 --> 00:02:54.047 position:50% align:middle - [Ronan] They said, "Oh, Ronan Tynan is finished. 00:02:54.047 --> 00:02:55.285 position:50% align:middle He'll never sing again." 00:02:58.681 --> 00:03:03.500 position:50% align:middle - One of the men who had been a judge when Ronan won the "Go For It" talent show was putting together a 00:03:03.500 --> 00:03:06.480 position:50% align:middle group of three tenors, The Irish Tenors. 00:03:06.480 --> 00:03:09.610 position:50% align:middle It was an enormous success. 00:03:09.610 --> 00:03:16.580 position:50% align:middle What Ronan had come to embody in all the stages of his 38 years was the dedication we admire in athletes, 00:03:16.580 --> 00:03:21.380 position:50% align:middle the care of physicians, the ability of performers to shoulder the emotions 00:03:21.380 --> 00:03:22.823 position:50% align:middle of a crowd. 00:03:22.823 --> 00:03:28.490 position:50% align:middle A list that could almost make you forget that it began with the boldness of a disabled boy, 00:03:28.490 --> 00:03:32.088 position:50% align:middle never shy of his obstacles or satisfied with his success. 00:03:41.428 --> 00:03:44.428 position:50% align:middle ♪ [music] ♪ 00:03:59.787 --> 00:04:18.500 position:50% align:middle ♪ True you ride the finest horse I have ever seen Standing 16' 1" or 2", with eyes wild and green ♪ 00:04:18.500 --> 00:04:28.036 position:50% align:middle ♪ And you ride the horse so well, hands light to the touch ♪ 00:04:28.036 --> 00:04:37.052 position:50% align:middle ♪ I could never go with you No matter how I wanted to ♪ 00:04:37.052 --> 00:04:46.406 position:50% align:middle ♪ Ride on, see you, ♪ 00:04:46.406 --> 00:04:55.733 position:50% align:middle ♪ I could never go with you No matter how I wanted to ♪ 00:04:55.733 --> 00:05:04.682 position:50% align:middle ♪ Ride on, see you, ♪ 00:05:04.682 --> 00:05:14.396 position:50% align:middle ♪ I could never go with you No matter how I wanted to ♪ 00:05:14.396 --> 00:05:23.674 position:50% align:middle ♪ When you ride into the night without a trace behind ♪ 00:05:23.674 --> 00:05:33.460 position:50% align:middle ♪ Run your gun along my heart, one last time ♪ 00:05:33.460 --> 00:05:42.261 position:50% align:middle ♪ I turn to face an empty space, where once you used to lie ♪ 00:05:42.261 --> 00:05:52.712 position:50% align:middle ♪ And look for the spark that lights the night Through a teardrop in my eye ♪ 00:05:52.712 --> 00:06:01.092 position:50% align:middle ♪ Ride on, see you, ♪ 00:06:01.092 --> 00:06:15.641 position:50% align:middle ♪ I could never go with you No matter how I wanted to ♪ 00:06:19.170 --> 00:06:20.281 position:50% align:middle - Thank you. 00:06:25.359 --> 00:06:29.480 position:50% align:middle It's a great pleasure to be able to perform in front of you. 00:06:29.480 --> 00:06:30.780 position:50% align:middle I'm no saint. 00:06:30.780 --> 00:06:37.190 position:50% align:middle The halo you see above my head is a reflection of the light on the bald head. 00:06:37.190 --> 00:06:42.120 position:50% align:middle Some of you might be familiar with this disposition. 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:45.160 position:50% align:middle I just had the pleasure to sing with you one of my favorite songs. 00:06:45.160 --> 00:06:47.630 position:50% align:middle It was written by a man called Jimmy MacCarthy. 00:06:47.630 --> 00:06:49.950 position:50% align:middle It was called "Ride On." 00:06:49.950 --> 00:06:54.100 position:50% align:middle And the interesting thing, it was written for a bald man. 00:06:54.100 --> 00:06:57.750 position:50% align:middle So, I'm not really going to go into all that. 00:06:57.750 --> 00:07:01.950 position:50% align:middle You heard a little bit about me from the TV clip you just saw. 00:07:01.950 --> 00:07:09.790 position:50% align:middle And now, I want the opportunity to share with you some of my innermost thoughts. 00:07:09.790 --> 00:07:13.650 position:50% align:middle Some of you, too, have had your own special challenges. 00:07:13.650 --> 00:07:17.920 position:50% align:middle Many of you may be struggling at this present moment in time. 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:25.030 position:50% align:middle All of us will continue to do this as we try to reach new heights in our professional lives, 00:07:25.030 --> 00:07:29.900 position:50% align:middle but more importantly, greater happiness in our private lives. 00:07:29.900 --> 00:07:34.380 position:50% align:middle I recently reflected back on that vignette you've just seen and it started me thinking, 00:07:34.380 --> 00:07:39.450 position:50% align:middle "Where did that spirit come from that has allowed me to reach heights far beyond what a boy with physical 00:07:39.450 --> 00:07:43.130 position:50% align:middle challenges could ever have dreamed of doing? 00:07:43.130 --> 00:07:47.300 position:50% align:middle How have I been able to put so much into my life in such a short space of time?" 00:07:47.300 --> 00:07:50.590 position:50% align:middle Well, it's come down to two things, really. 00:07:50.590 --> 00:07:55.970 position:50% align:middle Belief of others in me, and continued encouragement and reinforcement of that 00:07:55.970 --> 00:07:57.210 position:50% align:middle same belief. 00:07:57.210 --> 00:08:02.830 position:50% align:middle Belief in knowing that I would succeed, irrespective of the challenges that I was about to 00:08:02.830 --> 00:08:04.450 position:50% align:middle face in life. 00:08:04.450 --> 00:08:09.750 position:50% align:middle This belief, love, and encouragement from my family and my friends 00:08:09.750 --> 00:08:14.640 position:50% align:middle developed positive attitudes within me that just couldn't be shaken. 00:08:14.640 --> 00:08:19.870 position:50% align:middle Growing from this came the opportunity to live life to the absolute full. 00:08:19.870 --> 00:08:27.050 position:50% align:middle But learning from this, to succeed in whatever we do in life is not a solo flight. 00:08:27.050 --> 00:08:29.100 position:50% align:middle We all need someone. 00:08:29.100 --> 00:08:34.190 position:50% align:middle There was a great song that Barbra Streisand used to sing from "Funny Girl." 00:08:34.190 --> 00:08:38.000 position:50% align:middle "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world." 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:39.820 position:50% align:middle Wasn't she right? 00:08:39.820 --> 00:08:43.020 position:50% align:middle You heard my sister Fiona, an amazing woman. 00:08:43.020 --> 00:08:46.280 position:50% align:middle You glimpsed my parents. 00:08:46.280 --> 00:08:49.370 position:50% align:middle I stand in front of you, 6-foot, 4". 00:08:49.370 --> 00:08:52.798 position:50% align:middle 240 pounds of raw Irish beef. 00:08:54.780 --> 00:08:57.500 position:50% align:middle My father was a little bit... 00:08:57.500 --> 00:09:00.180 position:50% align:middle Actually, that picture kind of plays with him a little bit. 00:09:00.180 --> 00:09:02.596 position:50% align:middle He was 5-foot, 4" and a half. 00:09:02.596 --> 00:09:06.720 position:50% align:middle And she was 5-foot, 5" in heels. 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:13.590 position:50% align:middle The most amazing thing about those two is I don't have enough adjectives to describe her. 00:09:13.590 --> 00:09:16.690 position:50% align:middle Powerful, direct, focused. 00:09:16.690 --> 00:09:20.620 position:50% align:middle And she's the reason I stand in front of you here today. 00:09:20.620 --> 00:09:23.480 position:50% align:middle My father was an amazing man. 00:09:23.480 --> 00:09:28.750 position:50% align:middle But, ladies, while I'm 6-foot, 4", I'm adjustable. 00:09:28.750 --> 00:09:33.310 position:50% align:middle I can be any height you want. 00:09:33.310 --> 00:09:38.060 position:50% align:middle So, if you're looking for a little Jack Russell, I can be that little dog. 00:09:38.060 --> 00:09:42.909 position:50% align:middle And if you're looking for a Dobermann, I can do that job, too. 00:09:45.620 --> 00:09:50.280 position:50% align:middle You glimpsed my musical mentors and my friends. 00:09:50.280 --> 00:09:52.940 position:50% align:middle They had one thing in common. 00:09:52.940 --> 00:09:55.700 position:50% align:middle They always supported me. 00:09:55.700 --> 00:09:56.730 position:50% align:middle They never pushed. 00:09:56.730 --> 00:09:59.480 position:50% align:middle And that was a great thing. 00:09:59.480 --> 00:10:03.810 position:50% align:middle When I attended school, my sister, Fiona, used to always get concerned about the teasing that I 00:10:03.810 --> 00:10:04.840 position:50% align:middle was inflicted with. 00:10:04.840 --> 00:10:08.330 position:50% align:middle And that's how badly it made her feel. 00:10:08.330 --> 00:10:11.170 position:50% align:middle You see, Fiona was my shield and my strength. 00:10:11.170 --> 00:10:16.750 position:50% align:middle But of course, being Irish, she could feel badly enough for us all. 00:10:16.750 --> 00:10:19.210 position:50% align:middle Irish culture is amazing. 00:10:19.210 --> 00:10:24.140 position:50% align:middle We come to shine so well in bereavement. 00:10:24.140 --> 00:10:28.580 position:50% align:middle Even if we don't know the people, we'll go to the pub. 00:10:28.580 --> 00:10:35.540 position:50% align:middle And we will stay drinking and laud the people who have died, and we have no idea who they are. 00:10:35.540 --> 00:10:39.750 position:50% align:middle But when the drink stops flowing, we're gone. 00:10:39.750 --> 00:10:44.580 position:50% align:middle Of course, the teasing words got to me, but they didn't stay with me. 00:10:44.580 --> 00:10:47.230 position:50% align:middle Why? Because of the love of many. 00:10:47.230 --> 00:10:50.780 position:50% align:middle But most importantly, because of the word my father used to say to me. 00:10:50.780 --> 00:10:54.170 position:50% align:middle "Ronnie, you're great." 00:10:54.170 --> 00:10:59.480 position:50% align:middle That was the most important thing to hear as a young child. 00:10:59.480 --> 00:11:01.300 position:50% align:middle What a mentor he was. 00:11:01.300 --> 00:11:06.500 position:50% align:middle People who mentor become a battalion of inspiration. 00:11:06.500 --> 00:11:09.440 position:50% align:middle Mentoring does make a difference. 00:11:09.440 --> 00:11:11.840 position:50% align:middle All of you here today know that. 00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:17.270 position:50% align:middle Many of you may be sitting beside people you've mentored or whom have mentored you. 00:11:17.270 --> 00:11:19.730 position:50% align:middle What a great gift they have. 00:11:19.730 --> 00:11:23.940 position:50% align:middle Early on, I transcribed that message in my brain. 00:11:23.940 --> 00:11:28.550 position:50% align:middle And when I get up in the morning and look in the mirror, it's not bad when you look like this, 00:11:28.550 --> 00:11:31.300 position:50% align:middle I'd say, "You're great." 00:11:31.300 --> 00:11:36.800 position:50% align:middle You see, if you do it often enough, you really do believe it. 00:11:36.800 --> 00:11:46.000 position:50% align:middle You see in yourself what other people see in you, a strength waiting to be harnessed. 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:48.060 position:50% align:middle The man above gives us many talents. 00:11:48.060 --> 00:11:52.710 position:50% align:middle And sometimes we just have to open our eyes to see the two beauties. 00:11:52.710 --> 00:11:55.830 position:50% align:middle Not everybody is blessed with perpendicular ears. 00:11:55.830 --> 00:11:59.250 position:50% align:middle But Irish people are good at self-deprecation. 00:11:59.250 --> 00:12:01.140 position:50% align:middle Well, a couple of... 00:12:01.140 --> 00:12:11.980 position:50% align:middle Well, many years ago, I was in New York and auditions came up for "Shrek." 00:12:11.980 --> 00:12:15.630 position:50% align:middle Not funny. I auditioned. 00:12:15.630 --> 00:12:18.990 position:50% align:middle And I made it to the last five. 00:12:18.990 --> 00:12:24.690 position:50% align:middle And one thing you must do with yourself, "To thine own self be true." 00:12:24.690 --> 00:12:30.930 position:50% align:middle This was going to require seven performances in a week and a lot of hard work. 00:12:30.930 --> 00:12:33.510 position:50% align:middle And plus makeup, plus costume. 00:12:33.510 --> 00:12:35.640 position:50% align:middle And the costume weighed 60 pounds. 00:12:35.640 --> 00:12:37.730 position:50% align:middle So, you can imagine where that put me. 00:12:37.730 --> 00:12:45.960 position:50% align:middle So, I had to realize that there would be a whole program depending on my performances. 00:12:45.960 --> 00:12:54.760 position:50% align:middle So, I had to focus on what I have and not what I want. 00:12:54.760 --> 00:12:59.450 position:50% align:middle And I realized that this would be more than a challenge than I could manage. 00:12:59.450 --> 00:13:04.990 position:50% align:middle But in the process of all that, the focus opened up realms of possibilities that were 00:13:04.990 --> 00:13:06.440 position:50% align:middle there for me. 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:10.130 position:50% align:middle But the biggest thing of all, it freed up my mind. 00:13:10.130 --> 00:13:16.750 position:50% align:middle So, if you're not doing it during this part of your life, tomorrow morning, wake up, 00:13:16.750 --> 00:13:19.590 position:50% align:middle smile at that mirror and say, "I'm great." 00:13:19.590 --> 00:13:24.120 position:50% align:middle You know, the luck of the Irish doesn't have to be reserved for the Irish all the time. 00:13:24.120 --> 00:13:26.870 position:50% align:middle And if you're Italian, just talk to an Irish person. 00:13:26.870 --> 00:13:28.104 position:50% align:middle They'll explain it. 00:13:30.450 --> 00:13:39.130 position:50% align:middle You see, if you focus too much on what you want, you can end up dissatisfied an awful lot of the time. 00:13:39.130 --> 00:13:46.590 position:50% align:middle Life can only be learned from looking backwards, but we live it going forwards. 00:13:46.590 --> 00:13:50.320 position:50% align:middle There is no reverse gear in life, it's a forward motion. 00:13:50.320 --> 00:13:55.150 position:50% align:middle You get on with it, you embrace it, and you love it, and you greet it. 00:13:55.150 --> 00:13:58.130 position:50% align:middle And that's the most important thing to do. 00:13:58.130 --> 00:14:02.060 position:50% align:middle In my wild teenage years, believe it or not, I was a jockey. 00:14:02.060 --> 00:14:07.510 position:50% align:middle I know you're thinking, "How, in the name of heavens, did this big giant ever ride a horse?" 00:14:07.510 --> 00:14:09.600 position:50% align:middle Well, if you recall, at the start of the conversation, 00:14:09.600 --> 00:14:12.330 position:50% align:middle I said I was adjustable. 00:14:12.330 --> 00:14:17.547 position:50% align:middle So, I would go into the jockey's enclosure standing at 6-foot, 1", I'd come out at 5-foot, 2". 00:14:17.547 --> 00:14:20.930 position:50% align:middle That's the beauty of prosthetics. 00:14:20.930 --> 00:14:28.680 position:50% align:middle And of course, this caused major disdain and shock among the horsing community. 00:14:28.680 --> 00:14:31.020 position:50% align:middle I used to ride steeplechases. 00:14:31.020 --> 00:14:37.586 position:50% align:middle Which are big fences about 4-foot, 6", and it's a 3-mile chase. 00:14:37.586 --> 00:14:44.220 position:50% align:middle And my father used to love the whole idea of me going into that jockey room, 00:14:44.220 --> 00:14:47.020 position:50% align:middle coming out in miniature fashion. 00:14:47.020 --> 00:14:51.960 position:50% align:middle And of course, the bookies gave us no chance, but we sorted that out, too. 00:14:51.960 --> 00:15:00.090 position:50% align:middle You see, I used every aspect of my physical, mental, and spiritual strength, and I ignored my weaknesses. 00:15:00.090 --> 00:15:02.750 position:50% align:middle And that's what we all need to do. 00:15:02.750 --> 00:15:04.760 position:50% align:middle Build on our strengths. 00:15:04.760 --> 00:15:06.390 position:50% align:middle And we all have them. 00:15:06.390 --> 00:15:11.180 position:50% align:middle My father would stand in eyeshot on a peripheral view when I would come to a fence. 00:15:11.180 --> 00:15:14.480 position:50% align:middle And as I approached, he would raise his leg. 00:15:14.480 --> 00:15:17.320 position:50% align:middle And as I'd land, he'd drop his leg. 00:15:17.320 --> 00:15:19.960 position:50% align:middle He was with me all the way. 00:15:19.960 --> 00:15:22.630 position:50% align:middle He never left me. 00:15:22.630 --> 00:15:26.390 position:50% align:middle My mam, as I said, there are no adjectives to describe her, 00:15:26.390 --> 00:15:30.580 position:50% align:middle but this was one part of my life she wasn't embracing. 00:15:30.580 --> 00:15:35.980 position:50% align:middle She would go to the races, sit in the car park, and say prayers. 00:15:35.980 --> 00:15:40.010 position:50% align:middle It worked. I always returned. 00:15:40.010 --> 00:15:45.150 position:50% align:middle I dared to dream the greatest steeplechase of all, which is in Liverpool in England. 00:15:45.150 --> 00:15:48.670 position:50% align:middle And it has a big, huge fence called Becher's Brook. 00:15:48.670 --> 00:15:52.490 position:50% align:middle It stands at a 16-foot drop. 00:15:52.490 --> 00:15:55.590 position:50% align:middle I still think I could do it, but I'm just not sure there's a horse that could 00:15:55.590 --> 00:15:57.216 position:50% align:middle carry me over. 00:15:58.900 --> 00:16:05.890 position:50% align:middle When you win gold, or achieve success, as all of you have done here today, 00:16:05.890 --> 00:16:11.550 position:50% align:middle remember those who saw your talents and wanted so much for you to succeed. 00:16:11.550 --> 00:16:13.530 position:50% align:middle We all have long lists. 00:16:13.530 --> 00:16:20.190 position:50% align:middle Those who supported us right throughout our journey, and even gave that little nudge of encouragement when 00:16:20.190 --> 00:16:22.950 position:50% align:middle we needed it most. 00:16:22.950 --> 00:16:31.290 position:50% align:middle All of us are ordinary, God-fearing people, but we can be recognized for doing the extraordinary. 00:16:31.290 --> 00:16:32.920 position:50% align:middle Look at you here. 00:16:32.920 --> 00:16:34.930 position:50% align:middle You've done the extraordinary. 00:16:34.930 --> 00:16:42.140 position:50% align:middle And listening to yourself talk, you really have done the extraordinary. 00:16:42.140 --> 00:16:48.700 position:50% align:middle The most important thing is that that's what makes you great. 00:16:48.700 --> 00:16:51.250 position:50% align:middle That's what makes everyone great. 00:16:51.250 --> 00:16:57.440 position:50% align:middle I often recall the joy both my parents would show when I would achieve in any aspect of sports, 00:16:57.440 --> 00:17:01.160 position:50% align:middle academia, or music. 00:17:01.160 --> 00:17:03.520 position:50% align:middle My father would hug me. 00:17:03.520 --> 00:17:07.370 position:50% align:middle Grab me around the neck, it didn't matter if we were even in public, 00:17:07.370 --> 00:17:11.460 position:50% align:middle and just tell me, "You're great." 00:17:11.460 --> 00:17:18.680 position:50% align:middle He said this from the moment that I could understand those words, and kept on saying it until the day he 00:17:18.680 --> 00:17:20.379 position:50% align:middle passed. 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:30.000 position:50% align:middle That picture you see there is, believe it or not, I still retain the world record for the long jump. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:32.610 position:50% align:middle And that was the World Championships in Sweden. 00:17:32.610 --> 00:17:36.390 position:50% align:middle I was a little bit more toned then. 00:17:36.390 --> 00:17:40.790 position:50% align:middle And you have no idea how he behaved when that was achieved. 00:17:40.790 --> 00:17:44.730 position:50% align:middle He went absolutely nuts. 00:17:44.730 --> 00:17:52.040 position:50% align:middle You see, when words like this are said enough times, you really do believe them. 00:17:52.040 --> 00:17:57.030 position:50% align:middle Because they're coming from such a place of great love. 00:17:57.030 --> 00:18:03.190 position:50% align:middle So, my message for you today is don't be slow in giving or accepting encouragement. 00:18:03.190 --> 00:18:06.380 position:50% align:middle You have no idea the benefit it reaps. 00:18:06.380 --> 00:18:11.550 position:50% align:middle At every stage of my life, this encouragement and support has allowed me to live 00:18:11.550 --> 00:18:14.287 position:50% align:middle life to the absolute full. 00:18:14.287 --> 00:18:20.060 position:50% align:middle Looking at the way my life has started, and the turns and twists that I have taken, 00:18:20.060 --> 00:18:26.490 position:50% align:middle I can see now more of the endless possibilities that are there for me. 00:18:26.490 --> 00:18:28.270 position:50% align:middle Just think about this. 00:18:28.270 --> 00:18:36.110 position:50% align:middle I might never have achieved status in sports with two perfectly abled limbs. 00:18:36.110 --> 00:18:40.960 position:50% align:middle But with the limbs that were designed for me, I became, in 1984, 00:18:40.960 --> 00:18:44.930 position:50% align:middle the most outstanding disabled athlete in the world. 00:18:44.930 --> 00:18:47.904 position:50% align:middle I ran the 100 meters in 13.8 seconds. 00:18:47.904 --> 00:18:50.900 position:50% align:middle Wind-assisted, of course. 00:18:50.900 --> 00:18:55.320 position:50% align:middle I set a world record for the discus. 00:18:55.320 --> 00:18:58.370 position:50% align:middle I broke it six times. 00:18:58.370 --> 00:19:05.560 position:50% align:middle And on the sixth throw, they immediately escorted me to be drugs tested. 00:19:05.560 --> 00:19:07.870 position:50% align:middle They were convinced I was on something. 00:19:07.870 --> 00:19:10.610 position:50% align:middle More fooled them. 00:19:10.610 --> 00:19:17.320 position:50% align:middle I revel in the fact that my physical challenges have made me take risks far beyond what I could ever have 00:19:17.320 --> 00:19:18.660 position:50% align:middle dreamed of doing. 00:19:18.660 --> 00:19:25.090 position:50% align:middle But I believe the biggest risk in life is not taking risk itself. 00:19:25.090 --> 00:19:28.430 position:50% align:middle I've also discovered something more amazing. 00:19:28.430 --> 00:19:35.430 position:50% align:middle When you focus more on what you have in life, you get so much more from life itself. 00:19:35.430 --> 00:19:40.580 position:50% align:middle But the greatest gifts of all are fulfillment and happiness. 00:19:40.580 --> 00:19:45.810 position:50% align:middle There's no doubt in my mind that life is driven from within. 00:19:45.810 --> 00:19:52.800 position:50% align:middle When you focus on being happy internally, it seeps out through your very nature. 00:19:52.800 --> 00:19:55.860 position:50% align:middle People feel comfortable around you. 00:19:55.860 --> 00:20:00.550 position:50% align:middle You know, that's the most important thing we could ever wish for. 00:20:00.550 --> 00:20:06.450 position:50% align:middle For when you're happy, people gravitate towards you because they sense an 00:20:06.450 --> 00:20:08.260 position:50% align:middle inner peace with you. 00:20:08.260 --> 00:20:10.950 position:50% align:middle And that's a huge gift. 00:20:10.950 --> 00:20:16.320 position:50% align:middle When I was going to university, Fiona, once again, was the worrier. 00:20:16.320 --> 00:20:23.040 position:50% align:middle And she wondered how I would navigate getting up stairs into the college rooms and the university 00:20:23.040 --> 00:20:24.160 position:50% align:middle itself. 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:28.940 position:50% align:middle But what she didn't realize was her strength, my family's support and love, 00:20:28.940 --> 00:20:34.130 position:50% align:middle and my friends were there to give me that lift. 00:20:34.130 --> 00:20:38.710 position:50% align:middle Their hands were there to help me get there. 00:20:38.710 --> 00:20:41.570 position:50% align:middle They gave me that extra shout of encouragement. 00:20:41.570 --> 00:20:44.000 position:50% align:middle Not that I can do it. I will do it. 00:20:44.000 --> 00:20:46.736 position:50% align:middle And I'm doing it right now. 00:20:47.020 --> 00:20:53.730 position:50% align:middle You see, one thing I've learned about us all, we are not all equal in ability, disability, 00:20:53.730 --> 00:20:56.740 position:50% align:middle background, or the choices that are afforded to us. 00:20:56.740 --> 00:21:04.020 position:50% align:middle But if we concentrate on the task that is in front of us to the very best of our ability, 00:21:04.020 --> 00:21:06.440 position:50% align:middle then no more than that we can ever do. 00:21:06.440 --> 00:21:10.220 position:50% align:middle We have given our 100%. 00:21:10.220 --> 00:21:16.040 position:50% align:middle I had a father who encouraged me like no one else. 00:21:16.040 --> 00:21:21.040 position:50% align:middle He was obsessed with everything that I did. 00:21:21.040 --> 00:21:23.100 position:50% align:middle He wanted everything for me. 00:21:23.100 --> 00:21:32.080 position:50% align:middle I had a mother that was so powerful and directed that she commanded my life to be something special. 00:21:32.080 --> 00:21:35.740 position:50% align:middle This photo is very interesting. 00:21:35.740 --> 00:21:40.610 position:50% align:middle That competition, that singing competition that they alluded to, "Go For It." 00:21:40.610 --> 00:21:43.710 position:50% align:middle After I won it, somebody took this picture. 00:21:43.710 --> 00:21:47.030 position:50% align:middle My mother had to hold my father down. 00:21:47.030 --> 00:21:53.420 position:50% align:middle Because he wanted to leap up off the stage in front of 3,000 people and grab me. 00:21:53.420 --> 00:21:54.670 position:50% align:middle He used to do this... 00:21:54.670 --> 00:21:58.020 position:50% align:middle You know, the funny thing is, the very first performance I ever did. 00:22:00.300 --> 00:22:05.950 position:50% align:middle He came back to me after the first half of the show and he said, "You're doing good, 00:22:05.950 --> 00:22:08.070 position:50% align:middle but you could do better." 00:22:08.070 --> 00:22:10.053 position:50% align:middle I said, "Dad, you're killing me." 00:22:10.053 --> 00:22:11.300 position:50% align:middle And he said, "Oh, no, no. 00:22:11.300 --> 00:22:14.600 position:50% align:middle You're singing well, but there's more. There's more." 00:22:14.600 --> 00:22:19.640 position:50% align:middle So, I said, "Okay." Thinking, "This is a tough call." 00:22:19.640 --> 00:22:25.090 position:50% align:middle But he used to love a song called "Roses of Picardy." 00:22:25.090 --> 00:22:30.120 position:50% align:middle So, I decided to open up the second half of the show with this song. 00:22:30.120 --> 00:22:35.500 position:50% align:middle And the interesting thing about this little theater, there was only about 400 people at it, 00:22:35.500 --> 00:22:37.120 position:50% align:middle but it was packed. 00:22:37.120 --> 00:22:39.900 position:50% align:middle And anyway, I sung the song. 00:22:39.900 --> 00:22:45.290 position:50% align:middle He leapt up out of his seat and he turned to the audience and says, "He's fantastic." 00:22:47.585 --> 00:22:50.590 position:50% align:middle And my mother grabbed him, "Sit down, sit down." 00:22:50.590 --> 00:22:52.330 position:50% align:middle And he grabbed her, he says, "Get up." 00:22:52.330 --> 00:22:55.370 position:50% align:middle He says, "You're the reason he's here." 00:22:55.370 --> 00:22:58.300 position:50% align:middle That was the type of man he was. 00:22:58.300 --> 00:23:00.410 position:50% align:middle He was extraordinary. 00:23:00.410 --> 00:23:04.580 position:50% align:middle You know, he often said, "Blaze a new trail, that's your style." 00:23:04.580 --> 00:23:07.330 position:50% align:middle And it became my style. 00:23:07.330 --> 00:23:12.810 position:50% align:middle To blaze this trail, I received so much help along the way from amazing people. 00:23:12.810 --> 00:23:18.870 position:50% align:middle And the one thing I will say to you about this is always be gracious and humble when you receive such 00:23:18.870 --> 00:23:22.050 position:50% align:middle help and encouragement from wonderful people. 00:23:22.050 --> 00:23:28.260 position:50% align:middle People who recognize your ability and your talent, and want so much for you to succeed. 00:23:28.260 --> 00:23:31.185 position:50% align:middle What an amazing gift they give. 00:23:32.620 --> 00:23:42.450 position:50% align:middle When I was training back in 1984 in Ireland, particularly for athletics, particularly the discus, 00:23:42.450 --> 00:23:47.040 position:50% align:middle we didn't have the magnificent facilities in Ireland that America has. 00:23:47.040 --> 00:23:52.630 position:50% align:middle And I used to throw the discus in a recreational field. 00:23:52.630 --> 00:23:59.060 position:50% align:middle Now, I had no idea the angle of trajectory that this thing was going. 00:23:59.060 --> 00:24:04.740 position:50% align:middle And people were walking on the sidelines, as recreational walk. 00:24:04.740 --> 00:24:06.790 position:50% align:middle They had no idea what was happening. 00:24:06.790 --> 00:24:10.350 position:50% align:middle And I noticed people were giving me a big distance. 00:24:10.350 --> 00:24:11.830 position:50% align:middle So, I said... 00:24:11.830 --> 00:24:15.430 position:50% align:middle So, there was this man, and he was watching me, and he approached me. 00:24:15.430 --> 00:24:17.790 position:50% align:middle And he said to me, see, "Do you want a hand?" 00:24:17.790 --> 00:24:20.920 position:50% align:middle And I said, "I surely do." 00:24:20.920 --> 00:24:27.180 position:50% align:middle So, in discus throwing, you have to transfer weight from one leg to the other 00:24:27.180 --> 00:24:29.620 position:50% align:middle to do a one-and-three-quarter turn. 00:24:29.620 --> 00:24:33.790 position:50% align:middle So, this man's name was Bernie Hartigan and he was a discus thrower himself, 00:24:33.790 --> 00:24:37.910 position:50% align:middle and had won European and top-level competition. 00:24:37.910 --> 00:24:43.230 position:50% align:middle So, he said to me, "Ro," he said, "the most important thing for you here is you have to 00:24:43.230 --> 00:24:45.180 position:50% align:middle learn how to waltz." 00:24:45.180 --> 00:24:46.842 position:50% align:middle Now, just think about this. 00:24:46.842 --> 00:24:56.130 position:50% align:middle 1983 in Ireland, in a big, huge field, people are recreationally walking around to relieve 00:24:56.130 --> 00:24:57.120 position:50% align:middle stress and strain. 00:24:57.120 --> 00:24:59.150 position:50% align:middle Now, they see something else. 00:24:59.150 --> 00:25:03.410 position:50% align:middle Two grown men waltzing along the field. 00:25:03.410 --> 00:25:06.390 position:50% align:middle Now, I know it raised eyebrows. 00:25:06.390 --> 00:25:08.010 position:50% align:middle Well, we're in 2023. 00:25:08.010 --> 00:25:11.410 position:50% align:middle Nobody minds who dances with anybody these days. 00:25:11.410 --> 00:25:14.270 position:50% align:middle Well, eventually, I succeeded. 00:25:14.270 --> 00:25:17.820 position:50% align:middle And Bernie told me, he said, "Ronan, you'll win the coveted gold medal." 00:25:17.820 --> 00:25:19.130 position:50% align:middle And I said, "Why is that?" 00:25:19.130 --> 00:25:22.280 position:50% align:middle "Because you have the will to win." 00:25:22.280 --> 00:25:27.430 position:50% align:middle And I learned that's what winners do, they have the will to win. 00:25:27.430 --> 00:25:32.630 position:50% align:middle But they prepare and polish, and prepare some more and polish some more. 00:25:32.630 --> 00:25:34.700 position:50% align:middle They never become complacent. 00:25:34.700 --> 00:25:36.590 position:50% align:middle You cannot become complacent. 00:25:36.590 --> 00:25:43.490 position:50% align:middle So, all I can tell you is take actions on your big dreams. 00:25:43.490 --> 00:25:45.000 position:50% align:middle They're in your heart. 00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:46.750 position:50% align:middle Make them real. 00:25:46.750 --> 00:25:52.060 position:50% align:middle You have to believe with your heart and your soul that you can achieve anything you want. 00:25:52.060 --> 00:25:57.220 position:50% align:middle And I know from my experience, this will is inside us all. 00:25:57.220 --> 00:26:01.064 position:50% align:middle And when you capture it, it brings the finest from you. 00:26:01.064 --> 00:26:04.520 position:50% align:middle That year gave me tremendous inner strength. 00:26:04.520 --> 00:26:07.850 position:50% align:middle Success came like no other. 00:26:07.850 --> 00:26:11.450 position:50% align:middle I won the Olympic medal, I broke the world record. 00:26:11.450 --> 00:26:12.816 position:50% align:middle That was in 1988. 00:26:12.816 --> 00:26:21.840 position:50% align:middle It still stands today, which is, I suppose, in many ways, amazing. 00:26:21.840 --> 00:26:25.180 position:50% align:middle So, you can imagine now, you're in Seoul, Korea. 00:26:25.180 --> 00:26:30.890 position:50% align:middle You need a bunch of change to make a phone call to Ireland to tell them what's going on. 00:26:30.890 --> 00:26:32.500 position:50% align:middle So, I went to the nearest phone. 00:26:32.500 --> 00:26:35.100 position:50% align:middle I had a bag of change, I was putting it in like mad. 00:26:35.100 --> 00:26:36.180 position:50% align:middle Dad was at the phone. 00:26:36.180 --> 00:26:42.300 position:50% align:middle And in our house, not only one person answered the phone, two. 00:26:42.300 --> 00:26:45.050 position:50% align:middle So, every time the phone was picked up, my mother was right beside him. 00:26:45.050 --> 00:26:52.510 position:50% align:middle It's not that she didn't trust him, but she never gave him an opportunity to have another idea. 00:26:52.510 --> 00:26:56.070 position:50% align:middle So, I said, "I did well." 00:26:56.070 --> 00:26:57.360 position:50% align:middle And I could hear the emotion. 00:26:57.360 --> 00:27:01.260 position:50% align:middle He said to me, he said, "I'm so proud of you. 00:27:01.260 --> 00:27:03.370 position:50% align:middle I'm so thrilled." 00:27:03.370 --> 00:27:05.390 position:50% align:middle And he said, "What was it like?" 00:27:05.390 --> 00:27:07.000 position:50% align:middle I said, "It was great." 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:12.200 position:50% align:middle But I said, "At the end of it, I was drugs tested, and I'm clean." 00:27:12.200 --> 00:27:20.000 position:50% align:middle And that moment gave me the full confidence that I was suddenly being recognized as an athlete, 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:22.980 position:50% align:middle as a serious athlete. I rang my father. 00:27:22.980 --> 00:27:26.210 position:50% align:middle As I was talking to him, I talked to him, and he said, "I'm thrilled for you." 00:27:26.210 --> 00:27:30.470 position:50% align:middle And I could hear Mam saying, "Put me on, let me talk to him." 00:27:30.470 --> 00:27:34.730 position:50% align:middle So, he said, "I better hand you over to top management." 00:27:34.730 --> 00:27:38.640 position:50% align:middle Take note of that, gentlemen, "top management." 00:27:38.640 --> 00:27:42.780 position:50% align:middle And he also called her "she who must be obeyed." 00:27:42.780 --> 00:27:44.100 position:50% align:middle So, it always worked. 00:27:44.100 --> 00:27:47.180 position:50% align:middle And she said, "Ro, I'm delighted for you." 00:27:47.180 --> 00:27:48.760 position:50% align:middle I said, "Thanks, Ma." 00:27:48.760 --> 00:27:51.530 position:50% align:middle "But I'm more delighted you're not on drugs." 00:27:51.530 --> 00:27:55.600 position:50% align:middle I said, "How can you say that?" 00:27:55.600 --> 00:27:58.100 position:50% align:middle She said, "Look at how big you got." 00:27:58.100 --> 00:28:02.290 position:50% align:middle And I just said to her, "It must be in the genes." 00:28:02.290 --> 00:28:08.820 position:50% align:middle I've also realized we cannot become what we need to be by remaining the way we are. 00:28:08.820 --> 00:28:14.010 position:50% align:middle Change is painful, but ever needful. 00:28:14.010 --> 00:28:21.040 position:50% align:middle But the curious paradox about change is if you accept yourself as you, whether you're large, 00:28:21.040 --> 00:28:26.680 position:50% align:middle whether you're slim, whether you're balding, whether you have beautiful, triangular, 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:28.660 position:50% align:middle perpendicular ears, it doesn't matter. 00:28:28.660 --> 00:28:37.530 position:50% align:middle As long as you accept who you are, you can make any change you want to your life. 00:28:37.530 --> 00:28:43.340 position:50% align:middle But the first change is acceptance, accepting me. 00:28:43.340 --> 00:28:46.930 position:50% align:middle Then it always works. 00:28:46.930 --> 00:28:52.880 position:50% align:middle Well, certainly, my road through life has had some real twists. 00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:56.200 position:50% align:middle And yes, I have been challenged. 00:28:56.200 --> 00:28:58.950 position:50% align:middle Nature cannot be tricked or cheated. 00:28:58.950 --> 00:29:04.030 position:50% align:middle She will only give up of your struggles when you have paid her the price. 00:29:04.030 --> 00:29:09.280 position:50% align:middle Many years ago, I fell from a horse and fractured some nasal bones. 00:29:09.280 --> 00:29:14.950 position:50% align:middle It didn't come back to haunt me until I was about three years into my musical career. 00:29:14.950 --> 00:29:16.590 position:50% align:middle And at that stage, I had to stop. 00:29:16.590 --> 00:29:18.910 position:50% align:middle And I turned to my dad and I said, "Dad, what am I going to do?" 00:29:18.910 --> 00:29:20.900 position:50% align:middle He says, "Go back and go into medicine. 00:29:20.900 --> 00:29:23.490 position:50% align:middle Go back and open up your practice. 00:29:23.490 --> 00:29:26.760 position:50% align:middle You have a lot of work behind you, you've done a lot of special things. 00:29:26.760 --> 00:29:28.920 position:50% align:middle So, start from the roots." 00:29:28.920 --> 00:29:32.460 position:50% align:middle So, on a Wednesday, I opened up my practice. 00:29:32.460 --> 00:29:36.740 position:50% align:middle And I had done a lot of work in sports injuries and rehabilitation. 00:29:36.740 --> 00:29:40.150 position:50% align:middle So, I had one patient on the Wednesday. 00:29:40.150 --> 00:29:41.790 position:50% align:middle Well, I actually had two. 00:29:41.790 --> 00:29:45.030 position:50% align:middle Because my father sat in the waiting room. 00:29:45.030 --> 00:29:46.000 position:50% align:middle And I thought... 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:51.040 position:50% align:middle You know, as much as I kind of thought it was strange, I accepted the fact that he was there and it 00:29:51.040 --> 00:29:52.740 position:50% align:middle was good for me. 00:29:52.740 --> 00:29:55.920 position:50% align:middle So, on the Thursday, I had six patients. 00:29:55.920 --> 00:29:58.970 position:50% align:middle Now, Dad was deadly to talk. 00:29:58.970 --> 00:30:00.460 position:50% align:middle He loved talking. 00:30:00.460 --> 00:30:01.730 position:50% align:middle And he loved telling stories. 00:30:01.730 --> 00:30:05.930 position:50% align:middle And the beauty was he would never let the truth get in the way of the story. 00:30:05.930 --> 00:30:11.310 position:50% align:middle And you could hear the same story 1,000 times, but it was different, but it was the same. 00:30:11.310 --> 00:30:12.890 position:50% align:middle You know what I mean. 00:30:12.890 --> 00:30:16.840 position:50% align:middle And then coming home on Friday, which was the... I had nine patients. 00:30:16.840 --> 00:30:19.910 position:50% align:middle Now, he was like a hen on a hot griddle. 00:30:19.910 --> 00:30:22.330 position:50% align:middle He was flying. 00:30:22.330 --> 00:30:27.420 position:50% align:middle So, we're going home and I said, "Dad, is there any harm in asking you why you stayed in the 00:30:27.420 --> 00:30:29.860 position:50% align:middle waiting room while I was working?" 00:30:29.860 --> 00:30:35.920 position:50% align:middle He said, "Oh, yeah, well," he said, "it's very important to make up the numbers." 00:30:35.920 --> 00:30:37.200 position:50% align:middle I said, "Okay." 00:30:37.200 --> 00:30:39.730 position:50% align:middle So, he said, "Listen, let me explain something to you. 00:30:39.730 --> 00:30:44.310 position:50% align:middle When I go to a GP, or a doctor," he said, "if I go into the waiting room and I don't see 00:30:44.310 --> 00:30:47.230 position:50% align:middle anybody, then I don't think he's any good. 00:30:47.230 --> 00:30:52.100 position:50% align:middle So, I wanted your patients to know you had a patient." 00:30:52.100 --> 00:30:54.070 position:50% align:middle I said, "That's fantastic." 00:30:54.070 --> 00:30:57.360 position:50% align:middle And he says to me, he says, "I had one concern." 00:30:57.360 --> 00:30:58.910 position:50% align:middle I said, "What's that?" 00:30:58.910 --> 00:31:03.930 position:50% align:middle He said, "The concern I had was that if the fellow on Wednesday came back on Thursday and saw me there, 00:31:03.930 --> 00:31:07.020 position:50% align:middle he'd realize you hadn't cured either of us." 00:31:08.062 --> 00:31:11.730 position:50% align:middle So, I said, "Thankfully, that didn't happen." 00:31:11.730 --> 00:31:20.618 position:50% align:middle Well, by late 1998, my voice was coming back to its strength. 00:31:22.340 --> 00:31:26.500 position:50% align:middle And my dad's health was deteriorating quite significantly. 00:31:26.500 --> 00:31:31.730 position:50% align:middle And rightly or wrongly, I was looking after him and I was keeping him going. 00:31:31.730 --> 00:31:37.460 position:50% align:middle It's very hard to let go of somebody you really love. 00:31:37.460 --> 00:31:43.910 position:50% align:middle And if you think you can do something to lengthen that, you will go to the ends of the earth. 00:31:43.910 --> 00:31:46.250 position:50% align:middle My mom had developed Alzheimer's. 00:31:46.250 --> 00:31:50.200 position:50% align:middle So, we had two things going on at the same time. 00:31:50.200 --> 00:31:52.540 position:50% align:middle And he was dealing with that, as well. 00:31:52.540 --> 00:31:56.750 position:50% align:middle And so we had challenges, there's no doubt about that. 00:31:56.750 --> 00:32:01.686 position:50% align:middle And I brought Mam into my practice as a receptionist. 00:32:01.686 --> 00:32:07.000 position:50% align:middle And let me tell you, that was an experience and a half. 00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:09.110 position:50% align:middle My mother was a good-looking woman. 00:32:09.110 --> 00:32:14.370 position:50% align:middle So, when I knew that we had Alzheimer's, I used to say to Mam in the morning, 00:32:14.370 --> 00:32:16.110 position:50% align:middle "Put on your Sunday best." 00:32:16.110 --> 00:32:18.400 position:50% align:middle My mother was huge into tweed. 00:32:18.400 --> 00:32:20.630 position:50% align:middle Tweed for everything. 00:32:20.630 --> 00:32:26.360 position:50% align:middle And she wore black stockings, patent black shoes, the hair put up in a French bun. 00:32:26.360 --> 00:32:28.472 position:50% align:middle She was a stunner. 00:32:28.472 --> 00:32:30.330 position:50% align:middle You know, look what happened. 00:32:30.330 --> 00:32:39.670 position:50% align:middle But, you know, anyway, eventually, I felt both my father and I were given back to nature. 00:32:39.670 --> 00:32:45.990 position:50% align:middle He was giving to me something that I could never return, and he passed. 00:32:45.990 --> 00:32:51.910 position:50% align:middle The first time I sung, after those years, was at his funeral. 00:32:51.910 --> 00:33:00.610 position:50% align:middle And while it was very hard to understand and accept, I felt he was there with me, and has always been. 00:33:00.610 --> 00:33:07.700 position:50% align:middle Don't ever lose sight of the people you love because the depth of love surpasses death. 00:33:07.700 --> 00:33:09.030 position:50% align:middle They're there. 00:33:09.030 --> 00:33:11.890 position:50% align:middle They're in your heart and they never go. 00:33:11.890 --> 00:33:17.260 position:50% align:middle My mam, sadly, really got extremely bad. 00:33:17.260 --> 00:33:18.570 position:50% align:middle But we had a lot... 00:33:18.570 --> 00:33:19.710 position:50% align:middle I want to tell you something. 00:33:19.710 --> 00:33:22.000 position:50% align:middle We had a lot of fun with her. 00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:24.480 position:50% align:middle I know Alzheimer's is tough. God knows I know. 00:33:24.480 --> 00:33:28.380 position:50% align:middle And I think it's harder for the carer than it is for the person itself. 00:33:28.380 --> 00:33:31.510 position:50% align:middle But she was a riot. 00:33:31.510 --> 00:33:39.330 position:50% align:middle If something didn't fit with politics or religion, all hell broke out in that waiting room. 00:33:39.330 --> 00:33:43.670 position:50% align:middle And they used to wind her up to the point that she was insane. 00:33:43.670 --> 00:33:46.150 position:50% align:middle And she'd come in, "Ronan, you can't treat that person. 00:33:46.150 --> 00:33:50.260 position:50% align:middle They're not the right type of politics that we deal with." 00:33:50.260 --> 00:33:53.540 position:50% align:middle And I said, "Mam, it's okay. It's okay, I get it." 00:33:53.540 --> 00:33:58.620 position:50% align:middle The way to my mother's heart then was Fry's Chocolate Cream. 00:33:58.620 --> 00:34:00.370 position:50% align:middle She adored it. 00:34:00.370 --> 00:34:03.560 position:50% align:middle And she adored jelly. 00:34:03.560 --> 00:34:06.670 position:50% align:middle And if you traveled with her, you bought two bars. 00:34:06.670 --> 00:34:11.610 position:50% align:middle But when you took the one...when you went for the one that she left, she'd snap you and she'd say, 00:34:11.610 --> 00:34:14.520 position:50% align:middle "That's mine, too." 00:34:14.520 --> 00:34:17.830 position:50% align:middle They were extraordinary people. 00:34:19.474 --> 00:34:24.971 position:50% align:middle I think now, in the many things that I've done in my life, 00:34:24.971 --> 00:34:28.750 position:50% align:middle there's two people up there pulling a couple of strings. 00:34:28.750 --> 00:34:34.870 position:50% align:middle My inclusion in The Irish Tenors came about as a result of that "Go For It" competition you saw 00:34:34.870 --> 00:34:36.720 position:50% align:middle earlier that I won. 00:34:36.720 --> 00:34:39.180 position:50% align:middle And a typical Irish affair. 00:34:39.180 --> 00:34:40.550 position:50% align:middle They asked... 00:34:40.550 --> 00:34:46.560 position:50% align:middle This guy rang me up in 1998, he said, "Ronan, would you like to be part of The Irish Tenors?" 00:34:46.560 --> 00:34:49.210 position:50% align:middle I said, "Yeah. I think it would be great." 00:34:49.210 --> 00:34:55.040 position:50% align:middle Next question, "Do you know anybody else that would?" 00:34:55.040 --> 00:34:59.400 position:50% align:middle That's what happens. And it went on to be huge. 00:34:59.400 --> 00:35:02.830 position:50% align:middle And an actual fact, on December 6th, we're coming to Chicago. 00:35:02.830 --> 00:35:07.020 position:50% align:middle So, if any of you are in Chicago, I'd love to see you. 00:35:07.020 --> 00:35:11.800 position:50% align:middle Anyway, I have the great pleasure to sing to people all over the world. 00:35:11.800 --> 00:35:14.880 position:50% align:middle I wear a small little hat for medicine. 00:35:14.880 --> 00:35:20.000 position:50% align:middle But when the pandemic broke out, I had my license, I kept it going. 00:35:20.000 --> 00:35:22.770 position:50% align:middle So, I worked in a hospital for two years. 00:35:22.770 --> 00:35:26.540 position:50% align:middle And it was great to get back. 00:35:26.540 --> 00:35:31.150 position:50% align:middle Now, I want to talk to you about different things. 00:35:31.150 --> 00:35:35.340 position:50% align:middle So, I'm going to ask David to play something for you. 00:35:35.340 --> 00:35:38.140 position:50% align:middle And just listen quite attentively to this. 00:35:39.200 --> 00:35:41.880 position:50% align:middle - [President Bush] Ronan, George Bush here. 00:35:41.880 --> 00:35:44.230 position:50% align:middle Appreciated very much your calling. 00:35:44.230 --> 00:35:46.860 position:50% align:middle Barbara's fine, all is well here with the Bushes. 00:35:46.860 --> 00:35:50.220 position:50% align:middle And hope it's the same for you. 00:35:50.220 --> 00:35:54.310 position:50% align:middle But hang in there, and hope our paths cross soon. 00:35:54.310 --> 00:35:56.180 position:50% align:middle We love you. Goodbye. 00:35:57.263 --> 00:36:02.520 position:50% align:middle - So, I was very close to President Bush and Barbara. 00:36:02.520 --> 00:36:05.160 position:50% align:middle So, this picture... 00:36:05.160 --> 00:36:08.000 position:50% align:middle This is a few pictures I'm going to go through with you. 00:36:08.000 --> 00:36:17.360 position:50% align:middle So, Barbara had asked me to be one of the authors at her book for children and literacy. 00:36:17.360 --> 00:36:19.200 position:50% align:middle Now, I wrote one book. 00:36:19.200 --> 00:36:23.340 position:50% align:middle They had people there that were ridiculously-famous authors. 00:36:23.340 --> 00:36:24.480 position:50% align:middle Famous authors. 00:36:24.480 --> 00:36:27.070 position:50% align:middle Famous, famous, famous. 00:36:27.070 --> 00:36:32.072 position:50% align:middle Like, what's her... Patrick. 00:36:32.072 --> 00:36:34.950 position:50% align:middle What's her name? 00:36:34.950 --> 00:36:37.040 position:50% align:middle James Earl Jones. 00:36:37.875 --> 00:36:39.590 position:50% align:middle Tom. 00:36:39.590 --> 00:36:42.960 position:50% align:middle There were a huge amount, and then there was me. 00:36:42.960 --> 00:36:48.620 position:50% align:middle So, during the reading, James Earl Jones talked for 10 minutes, read, 00:36:48.620 --> 00:36:52.620 position:50% align:middle and that was it. And we were supposed to talk for an hour. 00:36:52.620 --> 00:36:57.820 position:50% align:middle So, George, President Bush, came to me, he looked at me, he said, "Is your book funny?" 00:36:57.820 --> 00:37:00.550 position:50% align:middle I said, "Yeah, there's funny bits in it." 00:37:00.550 --> 00:37:03.080 position:50% align:middle "Go out and get that audience going." 00:37:03.080 --> 00:37:06.050 position:50% align:middle Now, we're in Texas. There's 3,000 people. 00:37:06.050 --> 00:37:09.400 position:50% align:middle And I thought, "What am I going to do?" 00:37:09.400 --> 00:37:13.520 position:50% align:middle So, I went on stage and I said, "This is my book. 00:37:13.520 --> 00:37:16.200 position:50% align:middle It's called Halfway Home: My Life 'til Now." 00:37:16.200 --> 00:37:20.590 position:50% align:middle And I said, "I'm not going to read from it, but I'm going to tell you about it." 00:37:20.590 --> 00:37:23.520 position:50% align:middle So, I gave them all the anecdotes that were funny. 00:37:23.520 --> 00:37:30.570 position:50% align:middle How I dealt with chickens that pecked on Fiona's legs, I fed them whiskey. 00:37:30.570 --> 00:37:34.960 position:50% align:middle And I'm going to tell you more stories about everything else that was in the book, 00:37:34.960 --> 00:37:36.930 position:50% align:middle but he loved it. 00:37:36.930 --> 00:37:41.160 position:50% align:middle So, when I finished, they were all giving a standing ovation and all the rest. 00:37:41.160 --> 00:37:45.060 position:50% align:middle And he said, "Go back out there and sing a song." 00:37:45.060 --> 00:37:50.330 position:50% align:middle I said, "But I have no backing track, I have no pianist." 00:37:50.330 --> 00:37:56.540 position:50% align:middle He said, "You don't even have one of those when you're singing in the Irish pub, do you?" 00:37:56.540 --> 00:37:58.980 position:50% align:middle So, I said, "No, sir." 00:37:58.980 --> 00:38:02.590 position:50% align:middle So, that thus started a huge friendship. 00:38:02.590 --> 00:38:11.470 position:50% align:middle So, the next photograph you're going to see, this was at the White House for the 60th wedding 00:38:11.470 --> 00:38:15.310 position:50% align:middle anniversary of Barbara and George. 00:38:15.310 --> 00:38:18.880 position:50% align:middle And on the far right is Fiona. 00:38:18.880 --> 00:38:25.030 position:50% align:middle And when we arrived at the White House, President Bush, Jr. met us. 00:38:25.030 --> 00:38:30.990 position:50% align:middle And he grabbed Fiona and he said, "Fiona, I'm going to bring you on a tour of the White House." 00:38:30.990 --> 00:38:32.760 position:50% align:middle And he took her all over it. 00:38:32.760 --> 00:38:36.790 position:50% align:middle And when she came back, she was in the floods of tears. 00:38:36.790 --> 00:38:38.540 position:50% align:middle And I said, "What's wrong?" 00:38:38.540 --> 00:38:41.370 position:50% align:middle She said, "He's such a lovely man," she said. 00:38:41.370 --> 00:38:45.000 position:50% align:middle "The media are really hard." I said, "That's media." 00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:53.460 position:50% align:middle But that year, President Bush announced that... in this big 300 dinner, 00:38:53.460 --> 00:38:59.070 position:50% align:middle that he had 60 gold nuggets with Barbara and himself. 00:38:59.070 --> 00:39:05.070 position:50% align:middle And he said, "I want to give this to my 60 closest friends." 00:39:05.070 --> 00:39:12.340 position:50% align:middle So, anyway, like, I mean, I knew President Bush, but I didn't ever, ever see myself as being, 00:39:12.340 --> 00:39:13.700 position:50% align:middle you know, a friend. 00:39:13.700 --> 00:39:17.980 position:50% align:middle Oh, yes, I was a friend in my head, but I didn't think that, you know, 00:39:17.980 --> 00:39:23.010 position:50% align:middle you could be a friend of a president because they have so many people around them. 00:39:23.010 --> 00:39:27.480 position:50% align:middle So, he approached Fiona and he put something in her hand. 00:39:27.480 --> 00:39:31.310 position:50% align:middle And he said to her, "Don't give him this until you get back to the 00:39:31.310 --> 00:39:34.600 position:50% align:middle hotel." So, I said, "What is it? What is it?" 00:39:34.600 --> 00:39:35.500 position:50% align:middle So, I got back to the... 00:39:35.500 --> 00:39:43.800 position:50% align:middle And he had labeled all the nuggets and the pictures. 00:39:43.800 --> 00:39:46.410 position:50% align:middle And on mine, it was number 60. 00:39:46.410 --> 00:39:49.240 position:50% align:middle And she said, "What do you think of that?" 00:39:49.240 --> 00:39:52.897 position:50% align:middle I said, "Either be first or be last. 00:39:53.590 --> 00:39:55.260 position:50% align:middle But you win." 00:39:55.260 --> 00:39:56.640 position:50% align:middle So, that was that. 00:39:56.640 --> 00:39:59.070 position:50% align:middle So, next one. 00:39:59.070 --> 00:40:02.590 position:50% align:middle She was incredible. 00:40:02.590 --> 00:40:05.280 position:50% align:middle She was extraordinary. 00:40:05.280 --> 00:40:14.060 position:50% align:middle So, many...actually, seven years ago, President Bush asked me to come down and see him in 00:40:14.060 --> 00:40:15.930 position:50% align:middle Houston. 00:40:17.180 --> 00:40:19.090 position:50% align:middle And so I flew down. 00:40:19.090 --> 00:40:22.363 position:50% align:middle And this was before he got ill. 00:40:23.370 --> 00:40:26.420 position:50% align:middle And, you know, before a lot of things. 00:40:26.420 --> 00:40:32.880 position:50% align:middle So, as I'm knocking on the door, Barbara comes down the stairs. 00:40:32.880 --> 00:40:35.450 position:50% align:middle And she used to call me "son." 00:40:35.450 --> 00:40:38.100 position:50% align:middle And she'd open...and when she opened the door, "Well, son, how are you?" 00:40:38.100 --> 00:40:39.430 position:50% align:middle and big hug. 00:40:39.430 --> 00:40:41.330 position:50% align:middle She said, "Do you know why he's called you here?" 00:40:41.330 --> 00:40:43.960 position:50% align:middle I said, "No, ma'am, I don't." 00:40:43.960 --> 00:40:46.170 position:50% align:middle She said, "He wants you to sing at his funeral." 00:40:46.170 --> 00:40:52.000 position:50% align:middle And I said, "Well, that's not going to happen, please God, for a while." 00:40:52.000 --> 00:40:55.820 position:50% align:middle "Oh, no," she said, "but, you know, everything has to be prepared. 00:40:55.820 --> 00:40:58.860 position:50% align:middle He has already picked the songs, he knows what he wants you to sing. 00:40:58.860 --> 00:41:01.560 position:50% align:middle So, I said... 00:41:01.560 --> 00:41:05.550 position:50% align:middle Well, anyway, I was kind of a little bit taken back. 00:41:05.550 --> 00:41:07.950 position:50% align:middle So, President Bush was coming down the stairs. 00:41:07.950 --> 00:41:10.570 position:50% align:middle He said, "Well, Ronan." I said, "Sir, how are you?" 00:41:10.570 --> 00:41:14.620 position:50% align:middle And he said, "I suppose she told you." 00:41:14.620 --> 00:41:17.900 position:50% align:middle And I didn't know whether to say "yes" or "no." 00:41:17.900 --> 00:41:20.000 position:50% align:middle I didn't know how to play that card. 00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:26.500 position:50% align:middle And he said, "You know, Ro," he says, "she can't keep her powder dry. 00:41:26.500 --> 00:41:28.550 position:50% align:middle She has to let the world know." 00:41:28.550 --> 00:41:30.850 position:50% align:middle So, he said, "Are you okay with doing that for me?" 00:41:30.850 --> 00:41:32.850 position:50% align:middle I said, "Sir, of course I am." 00:41:32.850 --> 00:41:39.430 position:50% align:middle So, at that stage, I knew maybe eight years prior to his passing, 00:41:39.430 --> 00:41:43.380 position:50% align:middle I knew that I was going to be singing at his funeral. 00:41:43.380 --> 00:41:46.912 position:50% align:middle The same way that Nancy Reagan rang me up 00:41:46.912 --> 00:41:54.195 position:50% align:middle the day before they announced President Reagan's funeral...passing. 00:41:54.195 --> 00:41:57.700 position:50% align:middle And I remember coming out of an elevator in New York. 00:41:57.700 --> 00:42:00.985 position:50% align:middle And I didn't know the number. 00:42:00.985 --> 00:42:06.990 position:50% align:middle And this lady said, "Can you hold for Nancy Reagan?" 00:42:06.990 --> 00:42:10.140 position:50% align:middle I said, "Sorry?" 00:42:10.140 --> 00:42:12.190 position:50% align:middle She said, "This is the Reagan Library. 00:42:12.190 --> 00:42:14.940 position:50% align:middle Mrs. Reagan would like to speak to you." 00:42:14.940 --> 00:42:19.740 position:50% align:middle And, you know, when you hear these phone calls, you think, "That's a prank. 00:42:19.740 --> 00:42:22.590 position:50% align:middle I mean, that's mad." 00:42:22.590 --> 00:42:24.200 position:50% align:middle But anyway. So, anyway. 00:42:24.200 --> 00:42:29.090 position:50% align:middle I got out of the elevator and she said, "This is Nancy Reagan, Ronan." 00:42:29.090 --> 00:42:30.180 position:50% align:middle And I said, "Ma'am, yes?" 00:42:30.180 --> 00:42:32.740 position:50% align:middle You know, I thought to myself. 00:42:32.740 --> 00:42:39.049 position:50% align:middle And she said, "Ronnie wanted a tenor to sing in the cathedral in Washington 00:42:39.049 --> 00:42:43.870 position:50% align:middle and to fill the walls of the church." 00:42:43.870 --> 00:42:46.650 position:50% align:middle And she said, "I think you're the right person for the job. 00:42:46.650 --> 00:42:48.460 position:50% align:middle Will you do it for me?" 00:42:48.460 --> 00:42:51.160 position:50% align:middle I said, "Yes, ma'am. It would be a great honor." 00:42:51.160 --> 00:42:53.350 position:50% align:middle And the following day... 00:42:53.350 --> 00:42:54.700 position:50% align:middle And that was a Friday. 00:42:54.700 --> 00:42:59.640 position:50% align:middle On the Saturday, I was singing in Belmont at the races. 00:42:59.640 --> 00:43:04.900 position:50% align:middle Funny Jones...or Smarty Jones was trying to win the Triple Crown. 00:43:04.900 --> 00:43:06.270 position:50% align:middle He didn't. 00:43:06.270 --> 00:43:11.650 position:50% align:middle And the trainer blamed me because he reckoned I put the horse off. 00:43:11.650 --> 00:43:18.490 position:50% align:middle But anyway, the bottom line is it was announced that President Reagan had passed. 00:43:18.490 --> 00:43:24.480 position:50% align:middle And then I was told that maybe he had passed the day before, but they allowed Nancy have the time with 00:43:24.480 --> 00:43:28.730 position:50% align:middle him, the dignity of that, which I thought was fantastic. 00:43:28.730 --> 00:43:35.230 position:50% align:middle She made one request, that I wouldn't sing on any television before the 00:43:35.230 --> 00:43:37.490 position:50% align:middle funeral, that I would do no interviews. 00:43:37.490 --> 00:43:38.930 position:50% align:middle I said, "That's not a problem." 00:43:38.930 --> 00:43:43.010 position:50% align:middle But I've got to tell you one thing, the media really can press. 00:43:43.010 --> 00:43:46.310 position:50% align:middle We got phone calls, and, "Why can't you do this?" 00:43:46.310 --> 00:43:48.290 position:50% align:middle And I kept saying, "No, sorry. No, sorry." 00:43:48.290 --> 00:43:49.610 position:50% align:middle But anyway. 00:43:49.610 --> 00:43:52.130 position:50% align:middle So, that was Mrs. Reagan. 00:43:52.130 --> 00:43:54.300 position:50% align:middle Next photo. 00:43:54.300 --> 00:43:58.880 position:50% align:middle This was the house after he had asked me to do the job. 00:43:58.880 --> 00:44:00.100 position:50% align:middle This was in their own home. 00:44:00.100 --> 00:44:02.154 position:50% align:middle The next one. 00:44:03.560 --> 00:44:05.890 position:50% align:middle This is a great photo. 00:44:05.890 --> 00:44:09.500 position:50% align:middle It was his 90th birthday party. 00:44:09.500 --> 00:44:10.860 position:50% align:middle And you'll love this. 00:44:10.860 --> 00:44:13.617 position:50% align:middle I had just got the Green Card. 00:44:14.000 --> 00:44:16.570 position:50% align:middle And he was thrilled. 00:44:16.570 --> 00:44:22.680 position:50% align:middle They didn't get it, but he was holding up the card, "I made this happen." 00:44:22.680 --> 00:44:25.350 position:50% align:middle So, that was him. 00:44:25.350 --> 00:44:28.260 position:50% align:middle And he was a beautiful man. 00:44:28.260 --> 00:44:38.120 position:50% align:middle You know, if you take politics away, he was just a beautiful, beautiful man. 00:44:38.120 --> 00:44:39.880 position:50% align:middle And I was very fond of him. 00:44:39.880 --> 00:44:42.300 position:50% align:middle She was a riot. I loved her. 00:44:42.300 --> 00:44:44.270 position:50% align:middle She used to come to shows. 00:44:44.270 --> 00:44:46.760 position:50% align:middle And next one. 00:44:48.660 --> 00:44:55.430 position:50% align:middle This was Taco Tuesday up in Kennebunkport. 00:44:55.430 --> 00:44:59.430 position:50% align:middle And that was about a year before he passed. 00:44:59.430 --> 00:45:01.840 position:50% align:middle So, and he always wanted me to come. 00:45:01.840 --> 00:45:04.730 position:50% align:middle And of course, you had to sing a few songs. 00:45:04.730 --> 00:45:08.660 position:50% align:middle And the tacos, they were hot. 00:45:08.660 --> 00:45:11.140 position:50% align:middle And I was never good at hot. 00:45:11.140 --> 00:45:14.730 position:50% align:middle But anyway, and finally, that's herself. 00:45:14.730 --> 00:45:21.340 position:50% align:middle And I love that photograph because she was... they were wonderful people. 00:45:21.340 --> 00:45:26.210 position:50% align:middle So, that was my experience with the great presidents. 00:45:26.210 --> 00:45:29.860 position:50% align:middle I've sung for President Clinton up in New York. 00:45:29.860 --> 00:45:35.280 position:50% align:middle And the one thing I can tell you about him, he's extremely charismatic. 00:45:35.280 --> 00:45:39.390 position:50% align:middle Extremely. I haven't sung for President Trump. 00:45:39.390 --> 00:45:40.580 position:50% align:middle And I was... 00:45:40.580 --> 00:45:44.830 position:50% align:middle You know, but you lookit, I've sung a nice few ones. 00:45:44.830 --> 00:45:48.690 position:50% align:middle Anyway, I wanted... So, that's that part of my life. 00:45:48.690 --> 00:45:53.880 position:50% align:middle Well, now, I want to share with you a couple of stories about performing in opera. 00:45:53.880 --> 00:45:59.380 position:50% align:middle My first role in opera was to sing "Madame Butterfly," it's Puccini. 00:45:59.380 --> 00:46:04.240 position:50% align:middle Now, if you're not opera fans, this is the one to start with. 00:46:04.240 --> 00:46:05.880 position:50% align:middle You know, this is the one to start with. 00:46:05.880 --> 00:46:07.530 position:50% align:middle Or "La bohème." 00:46:07.530 --> 00:46:13.240 position:50% align:middle The music is so beautiful, it betrays what's going to happen. 00:46:13.240 --> 00:46:20.130 position:50% align:middle In "Madame Butterfly," I played Pinkerton, who's an American lieutenant who falls in love with a 00:46:20.130 --> 00:46:23.490 position:50% align:middle Japanese girl called Cio-Cio-san, or Butterfly. 00:46:23.490 --> 00:46:25.420 position:50% align:middle My Butterfly was about 5-foot, 1". 00:46:25.420 --> 00:46:28.350 position:50% align:middle I stand in front of you 6-foot, 4". 00:46:28.350 --> 00:46:34.710 position:50% align:middle And at the final part of Butterfly, Butterfly lies center of stage. 00:46:34.710 --> 00:46:36.320 position:50% align:middle She has died. 00:46:36.320 --> 00:46:40.820 position:50% align:middle And Pinkerton is to come in and caress her. 00:46:40.820 --> 00:46:45.310 position:50% align:middle But I was so delighted that I actually got through the program without too many glitches, 00:46:45.310 --> 00:46:49.910 position:50% align:middle I was talking to the chorus backstage figuring out where we were going to go. 00:46:49.910 --> 00:46:56.780 position:50% align:middle And next minute, the stage hand, on his Tannoy, said, "Tynan, you're on." 00:46:56.780 --> 00:46:58.890 position:50% align:middle So, I did "Chariots of Fire." 00:46:58.890 --> 00:47:02.670 position:50% align:middle I ran from upstage to center stage. 00:47:02.670 --> 00:47:08.300 position:50% align:middle But what I didn't see was there was a small lip on the floor. 00:47:08.300 --> 00:47:13.110 position:50% align:middle In six weeks, I never saw this lip. 00:47:13.110 --> 00:47:16.980 position:50% align:middle I didn't caress her. I landed on her. 00:47:16.980 --> 00:47:22.820 position:50% align:middle And when I landed on her, all you could hear is, "Ow!" 00:47:22.820 --> 00:47:27.670 position:50% align:middle And I said, "Oh, I'm so terribly sorry." "Ow!" 00:47:27.670 --> 00:47:35.100 position:50% align:middle And the stage manager didn't realize his Tannoy was open to the house, it was about 2,500 people. 00:47:35.100 --> 00:47:38.240 position:50% align:middle And he said, "Well, if she's not dead, she is now." 00:47:38.240 --> 00:47:47.279 position:50% align:middle Of which the audience were cracking up, but my Butterfly wasn't very happy. 00:47:48.400 --> 00:47:53.442 position:50% align:middle So, my next story for you is kind of interesting. 00:47:54.010 --> 00:47:57.410 position:50% align:middle And you'd have thought that maybe, you know, you're sharp enough to think, 00:47:57.410 --> 00:48:00.190 position:50% align:middle "Maybe opera's not for me. I don't move that well." 00:48:00.190 --> 00:48:02.770 position:50% align:middle But then I decided... 00:48:02.770 --> 00:48:08.570 position:50% align:middle I won this huge competition in England and the prize was to do an operetta called "Land of Smiles" by 00:48:08.570 --> 00:48:09.610 position:50% align:middle Franz Lehár. 00:48:09.610 --> 00:48:11.880 position:50% align:middle It doesn't matter if you're not familiar. 00:48:11.880 --> 00:48:16.460 position:50% align:middle They set up this big Viennese stage. Right? 00:48:16.460 --> 00:48:22.100 position:50% align:middle Where you had a massive stairwell coming down from the gods, coming right into center stage. 00:48:22.100 --> 00:48:26.450 position:50% align:middle But as you well know, that when they're doing these big stagings, 00:48:26.450 --> 00:48:27.930 position:50% align:middle it's not straight down. 00:48:27.930 --> 00:48:30.160 position:50% align:middle They have a bend on it. 00:48:30.160 --> 00:48:31.750 position:50% align:middle So, there was a fairly acute bend. 00:48:31.750 --> 00:48:35.310 position:50% align:middle And with the limbs, I'm not great at going down stairs. 00:48:35.310 --> 00:48:37.010 position:50% align:middle I'm better at climbing. 00:48:37.010 --> 00:48:41.810 position:50% align:middle So, I was partnered with, how I would describe, a Wagnerian-built lady. 00:48:41.810 --> 00:48:45.340 position:50% align:middle Bless her, she was huge. 00:48:45.340 --> 00:48:49.360 position:50% align:middle And she wore a mustard dress, and there was reams of material in it. 00:48:49.360 --> 00:48:51.340 position:50% align:middle But she wore a big, long train out the back. 00:48:51.340 --> 00:48:57.040 position:50% align:middle I don't understand, ladies, why you wear trains, because all they do is gather dust. 00:48:57.040 --> 00:49:00.241 position:50% align:middle But anyway, the orchestra starts. 00:49:00.241 --> 00:49:07.280 position:50% align:middle And she's on the outside, I'm on the inside, and the banister is about there. 00:49:07.280 --> 00:49:10.470 position:50% align:middle I'm already nervous, I'm perspiring like a lunatic anyway. 00:49:10.470 --> 00:49:16.120 position:50% align:middle As the overture is being played, we get to the bend, and she leans in. 00:49:16.120 --> 00:49:19.720 position:50% align:middle So, I got nervous and I pushed her out a bit. 00:49:19.720 --> 00:49:22.210 position:50% align:middle And she took off about five steps. 00:49:22.210 --> 00:49:27.350 position:50% align:middle And next minute, there was a... 00:49:28.550 --> 00:49:32.450 position:50% align:middle My left leg was on the train, but I didn't know it. 00:49:32.450 --> 00:49:36.540 position:50% align:middle And behold, I saw a vision. 00:49:36.540 --> 00:49:39.000 position:50% align:middle Sacred heart of God, it was huge! 00:49:39.000 --> 00:49:42.530 position:50% align:middle And I didn't know what to do. 00:49:42.530 --> 00:49:45.230 position:50% align:middle And I hadn't even opened my mouth to sing. 00:49:45.230 --> 00:49:48.800 position:50% align:middle And I thought, "Oh my God. Oh my God!" 00:49:48.800 --> 00:49:51.030 position:50% align:middle So, I bent down, picked up the train. 00:49:51.030 --> 00:49:59.200 position:50% align:middle Now, ladies, can I give you a bit of advice from kind of a simple area of dressing? 00:49:59.200 --> 00:50:03.170 position:50% align:middle Just use Velcro. Just use Velcro. 00:50:03.170 --> 00:50:07.540 position:50% align:middle Because then when you push something in, it doesn't... 00:50:07.540 --> 00:50:11.390 position:50% align:middle So, she had tacked the train with pins. 00:50:11.390 --> 00:50:17.140 position:50% align:middle Oh my God, when I shoved this thing into her, she horsed another few steps. 00:50:17.140 --> 00:50:23.170 position:50% align:middle And I had to sing "Love, What has Given Me this Magic Power?" 00:50:23.170 --> 00:50:25.400 position:50% align:middle There was no love. 00:50:25.400 --> 00:50:27.470 position:50% align:middle No magic. 00:50:27.470 --> 00:50:32.550 position:50% align:middle And we were supposed to go stage right. Right? 00:50:32.550 --> 00:50:36.260 position:50% align:middle And you can imagine. Now, this is 3,000 people attending this. 00:50:36.260 --> 00:50:41.010 position:50% align:middle And it's a big, massive orchestra, 90-piece orchestra, The Hallé orchestra. 00:50:41.010 --> 00:50:45.150 position:50% align:middle And if you can imagine, stage right is, say, there. 00:50:45.150 --> 00:50:51.020 position:50% align:middle And at that part of the stage, the basses and the celli are playing. 00:50:51.020 --> 00:50:57.000 position:50% align:middle So, in this particular arrangement, the tenor and the soprano were to sit down over the 00:50:57.000 --> 00:50:59.020 position:50% align:middle edge of the stage. 00:50:59.020 --> 00:51:01.510 position:50% align:middle And I was to sing the aria to her. 00:51:01.510 --> 00:51:05.540 position:50% align:middle "You Are My Heart's Delight," or "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz." 00:51:05.540 --> 00:51:09.600 position:50% align:middle And I thought she was behind me, but she wasn't. 00:51:09.600 --> 00:51:11.960 position:50% align:middle She stood over there. 00:51:11.960 --> 00:51:14.340 position:50% align:middle She must have felt the breeze or something. 00:51:14.340 --> 00:51:20.460 position:50% align:middle But anyway, I turned and the conductor started. 00:51:20.460 --> 00:51:28.860 position:50% align:middle And so there was a part in it where the producer said, "When you get to 'shine through my dreams,' let 00:51:28.860 --> 00:51:33.230 position:50% align:middle your arms...let your body go and show her how passionate you are." 00:51:33.230 --> 00:51:36.100 position:50% align:middle So, I did. 00:51:36.100 --> 00:51:40.910 position:50% align:middle When I did that, my right leg fell into the pit. 00:51:40.910 --> 00:51:45.950 position:50% align:middle Yeah, you don't write this stuff, this is unbelievable. 00:51:45.950 --> 00:51:48.480 position:50% align:middle The conductor looked. 00:51:48.480 --> 00:51:52.580 position:50% align:middle I knew her reaction would have been, "Oh my God." 00:51:52.580 --> 00:51:54.540 position:50% align:middle And the audience went... 00:51:54.540 --> 00:51:59.970 position:50% align:middle You know that unearthly quiet, that very quiet moment where people say nothing but 00:51:59.970 --> 00:52:03.190 position:50% align:middle know something catastrophic has happened? 00:52:03.190 --> 00:52:09.190 position:50% align:middle So, I looked down and I said to the cellist, I said, "Can you hand me up my leg?" 00:52:09.190 --> 00:52:12.910 position:50% align:middle And he was as white as a sheet. 00:52:12.910 --> 00:52:15.170 position:50% align:middle And I thought, "We need"... 00:52:15.170 --> 00:52:16.650 position:50% align:middle "Can you hand me up my leg?" 00:52:16.650 --> 00:52:18.930 position:50% align:middle And he looked at me. 00:52:18.930 --> 00:52:21.540 position:50% align:middle I said, "Will you give me up the leg?" 00:52:21.540 --> 00:52:24.310 position:50% align:middle So, he caught it and you'd swear I had leprosy. 00:52:24.310 --> 00:52:25.720 position:50% align:middle He was terrified. 00:52:25.720 --> 00:52:29.390 position:50% align:middle Now, to put on a prosthesis, you know, you have to take off the pants. 00:52:29.390 --> 00:52:31.010 position:50% align:middle Well, that audience wasn't ready for that. 00:52:31.010 --> 00:52:37.880 position:50% align:middle So, I kind of shoved it on as best I could, went behind stage right where the big curtain was. 00:52:37.880 --> 00:52:42.590 position:50% align:middle And there was the producer, and she was bawling her eyes out. 00:52:42.590 --> 00:52:46.320 position:50% align:middle She was crying uncontrollably. 00:52:46.320 --> 00:52:48.600 position:50% align:middle And I looked at her, I said, "What's wrong with you? 00:52:48.600 --> 00:52:51.350 position:50% align:middle I'm having a nightmare out here." 00:52:51.350 --> 00:52:59.000 position:50% align:middle And she said, "How much more of you can fall apart?" 00:52:59.000 --> 00:53:05.380 position:50% align:middle Well, I said, "You'll have to wheel me back out." 00:53:05.380 --> 00:53:08.390 position:50% align:middle So, you know, there have been other incidents. 00:53:08.390 --> 00:53:14.150 position:50% align:middle But, you know, one thing I'm going to say to you all, everyone at some stage or other would like to turn 00:53:14.150 --> 00:53:18.740 position:50% align:middle back the clock and undo the mistakes of the past. 00:53:18.740 --> 00:53:20.690 position:50% align:middle We all want to do that. 00:53:20.690 --> 00:53:23.710 position:50% align:middle But it's neither possible or desirable. 00:53:23.710 --> 00:53:28.680 position:50% align:middle So, don't waste your time on dreaming, wondering what might have been. 00:53:28.680 --> 00:53:36.760 position:50% align:middle Those mistakes we make in life, in our life, are quite valuable in the lessons they can teach us. 00:53:36.760 --> 00:53:43.360 position:50% align:middle And as a result, can bring so much more success into our lives, simply. 00:53:43.360 --> 00:53:47.620 position:50% align:middle Now, there's one point I would like to utter about this. 00:53:47.620 --> 00:53:56.070 position:50% align:middle That's presuming, of course, you're the kind of person who knows how to learn from them. 00:53:56.070 --> 00:53:59.810 position:50% align:middle And so I've actually stopped singing opera. 00:53:59.810 --> 00:54:05.070 position:50% align:middle And usually when I'm performing, I usually stay to the left of the conductor. 00:54:05.070 --> 00:54:08.020 position:50% align:middle So, if I fall, I'm going that direction. 00:54:08.020 --> 00:54:09.770 position:50% align:middle There are two others beside me. 00:54:09.770 --> 00:54:12.820 position:50% align:middle When I sing and perform, I usually sing by the piano. 00:54:12.820 --> 00:54:15.180 position:50% align:middle I stick my backside into the belly. 00:54:15.180 --> 00:54:19.530 position:50% align:middle So, I've learned how to kind of control the outbursts. 00:54:19.530 --> 00:54:24.240 position:50% align:middle People might have thought I had tonic-clonic seizures and things like that. 00:54:24.240 --> 00:54:25.880 position:50% align:middle You know, what can you do? 00:54:25.880 --> 00:54:28.140 position:50% align:middle Things happen. 00:54:28.140 --> 00:54:35.880 position:50% align:middle My experiences have really reinforced a belief I hold that is very dear. 00:54:35.880 --> 00:54:40.431 position:50% align:middle Success is a team effort. 00:54:40.431 --> 00:54:44.770 position:50% align:middle It's like you are here today. 00:54:44.770 --> 00:54:46.840 position:50% align:middle It's like a family. 00:54:46.840 --> 00:54:50.940 position:50% align:middle Two people meet, that's the beginning. 00:54:50.940 --> 00:54:55.120 position:50% align:middle By keeping together, there is progress. 00:54:55.120 --> 00:54:59.840 position:50% align:middle And by working together, there is success. 00:54:59.840 --> 00:55:02.522 position:50% align:middle Sometimes you encourage. 00:55:02.522 --> 00:55:06.150 position:50% align:middle And sometimes you yourself are encouraged. 00:55:06.150 --> 00:55:12.400 position:50% align:middle My hope is that you will remember some part of my life struggle when you have to throw the discus of 00:55:12.400 --> 00:55:15.610 position:50% align:middle life that little bit harder. 00:55:15.610 --> 00:55:19.800 position:50% align:middle It's important to remember the people you meet along the way. 00:55:19.800 --> 00:55:24.140 position:50% align:middle The believers. The encouragers. 00:55:24.140 --> 00:55:29.630 position:50% align:middle Belief and encouragement are the matches which light the candle of achievement. 00:55:29.630 --> 00:55:32.150 position:50% align:middle I'm walking proof of that. 00:55:32.150 --> 00:55:39.390 position:50% align:middle Sharing my life story, its struggles and successes, I hope, will be helpful in some way to you today as 00:55:39.390 --> 00:55:46.050 position:50% align:middle you move through your many challenges, both in your professional and personal lives. 00:55:46.050 --> 00:55:54.570 position:50% align:middle One of my favorite quotes which I feel epitomizes my faith and belief, "Faith is the bird that feels the 00:55:54.570 --> 00:55:58.570 position:50% align:middle light and sings while the dawn is still dark." 00:55:58.570 --> 00:56:05.520 position:50% align:middle My hope for you is that you will feel this light and truly sing your song of success before the dawn of 00:56:05.520 --> 00:56:07.300 position:50% align:middle another day. 00:56:07.300 --> 00:56:11.910 position:50% align:middle It's been a great pleasure talking to you this afternoon. 00:56:11.910 --> 00:56:19.980 position:50% align:middle I'd like to finish the program by singing for you a song that I auditioned for "Shrek" with. 00:56:19.980 --> 00:56:26.410 position:50% align:middle It is fond memories and it was written by Leonard Cohen. 00:56:26.410 --> 00:56:31.900 position:50% align:middle And I had the great pleasure of singing this particular song for his sister. 00:56:31.900 --> 00:56:35.500 position:50% align:middle And it was after Leonard had passed and she said, "You know," she said, "Ro, 00:56:35.500 --> 00:56:37.490 position:50% align:middle I think Leonard would have liked this." 00:56:37.490 --> 00:56:39.551 position:50% align:middle Thank you so much. 00:56:44.326 --> 00:56:47.326 position:50% align:middle ♪ [music] ♪ 00:56:49.900 --> 00:56:58.957 position:50% align:middle ♪ I heard there was a secret chord That David played and it pleased the Lord ♪ 00:56:58.957 --> 00:57:06.336 position:50% align:middle ♪ But you don't really care for music, do ya? ♪ 00:57:07.848 --> 00:57:17.205 position:50% align:middle ♪ It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth The minor fall, the major lift ♪ 00:57:17.205 --> 00:57:25.355 position:50% align:middle ♪ The baffled king composing Hallelujah ♪ 00:57:25.355 --> 00:57:34.432 position:50% align:middle ♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ 00:57:34.432 --> 00:57:46.853 position:50% align:middle ♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ 00:57:48.776 --> 00:57:57.297 position:50% align:middle ♪ Maybe I've been here before I know this room, I've walked this floor ♪ 00:57:57.297 --> 00:58:04.306 position:50% align:middle ♪ I used to live alone before I knew ya ♪ 00:58:06.345 --> 00:58:15.334 position:50% align:middle ♪ I see your flag on the marble arch Love is not a victory march ♪ 00:58:15.334 --> 00:58:24.040 position:50% align:middle ♪ It's cold but a broken Hallelujah ♪ 00:58:24.040 --> 00:58:32.304 position:50% align:middle ♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ 00:58:32.304 --> 00:58:45.232 position:50% align:middle ♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ 00:58:46.000 --> 00:58:49.930 position:50% align:middle - This is...the next piece is just the instrumental. 00:58:49.930 --> 00:58:52.294 position:50% align:middle So, just enjoy it. 00:58:52.592 --> 00:58:55.592 position:50% align:middle ♪ [music] ♪ 00:59:22.322 --> 00:59:31.191 position:50% align:middle ♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ 00:59:31.191 --> 00:59:44.562 position:50% align:middle ♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ 00:59:45.600 --> 00:59:54.542 position:50% align:middle ♪ I know there is a God above But all I ever learned from love ♪ 00:59:54.542 --> 01:00:01.659 position:50% align:middle ♪ Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew ya ♪ 01:00:03.311 --> 01:00:12.523 position:50% align:middle ♪ It's not the cry you hear at night It's not someone who's seen the Light ♪ 01:00:12.523 --> 01:00:20.900 position:50% align:middle ♪ It's cold but a broken Hallelujah ♪ 01:00:20.900 --> 01:00:29.590 position:50% align:middle ♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ 01:00:29.590 --> 01:00:39.229 position:50% align:middle ♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ 01:00:39.229 --> 01:00:48.561 position:50% align:middle ♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah ♪ 01:00:48.561 --> 01:01:00.184 position:50% align:middle ♪ Hallelujah, Hallelujah, ♪ 01:01:00.184 --> 01:01:03.185 position:50% align:middle ♪ [music] ♪ 01:01:06.000 --> 01:01:15.446 position:50% align:middle ♪ Hallelujah ♪ 01:01:15.752 --> 01:01:17.016 position:50% align:middle - Thank you.