{"id":266416,"date":"2022-04-18T10:50:37","date_gmt":"2022-04-18T15:50:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=266416"},"modified":"2022-04-16T22:05:34","modified_gmt":"2022-04-17T03:05:34","slug":"british-powerlifter-defies-odds-valuable-society","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/british-powerlifter-defies-odds-valuable-society\/","title":{"rendered":"British powerlifter defies odds after doctors predicted he would never be ‘valuable’ to society"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A British man with Down syndrome and autism is defying the odds and has become a champion powerlifter, despite the fact that doctors predicted he would never achieve anything. Dan McGauley, 31, is a three-time gold medalist in Commonwealth powerlifting and the reigning world champion in his weight class.<\/p>\n

Dan is also deaf in one ear and has undergone open-heart surgery \u2014 twice.<\/p>\n

Dan’s mother, Judith, said that he’s gone through a lot. “He\u2019s had a lot of setbacks. The doctors said he wouldn\u2019t survive another round of open-heart surgery,” she explained. “He\u2019s been in a wheelchair, and he\u2019s had 40-odd operations on his ears.”<\/p>\n

But if doctors had been correct, Dan never would have made it as far as he has in the first place.<\/p>\n

“We were told he wouldn’t walk, he wouldn’t talk. He wouldn’t go to school, he wouldn’t achieve anything. They didn’t want to do his heart surgery because they said he’d never make any valuable contribution to society,” said<\/a> Judith.<\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0First Ironman with Down syndrome completes the New York City marathon<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Judith proudly explained that her son has proved everyone wrong. “He has represented his country on umpteen occasions. We’re thankful that people have given him the chance to do this. Every competition he goes to is supported by people all over the world.”<\/p>\n