Dan McGooly, who has Down syndrome, has defied doctors' expectations that he would not achieve anything in life by becoming a world champion in weightlifting. The 31-year-old athlete has won a gold medal three times at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships and has become the world champion in his weight class. Despite doctors telling his family that he would not be able to make any valuable contributions to society, Dan aims to add a fourth gold medal to his achievements soon.
Dan has overcome many challenges in his life, having undergone two open-heart surgeries, along with battling autism and hearing loss in his left ear. His mother, Judith, stated, "He has faced many setbacks. The doctors said he wouldn't survive any more heart surgeries. He has also had 40 surgeries on his ears, and we were told by doctors that he would not be able to achieve anything due to his health condition."
Dan was born with a heart defect and underwent heart surgeries when he was four months and two years old. After temporarily using a wheelchair, he began lifting weights for the first time when he visited a gym to lose weight. The athlete from Colchester, Essex, has won gold medals in the Special Olympics for the last three Commonwealth Games and has been crowned the Special Olympics weightlifting champion for the 59 kg weight class.
He trains three times a week and has personal training sessions on Saturdays and Sundays. Dan's passion for weightlifting has inspired his mother to start practicing and competing in the sport as well, where she has won several gold medals in her age group at the recent Commonwealth Games in Canada and South Africa, according to "Metro" online.
