Nine-year-old John O’Leary was in the garage of his family home in St. Louis, Mo. playing with a match in 1987. Nearby a slip of paper and a five-gallon can of gasoline ignited and a massive fire engulfed the home, and O’Leary.
Given a one percent chance to survive O’Leary toiled for five months in the hospital. Surviving skin grafts, total digit amputation and burns over his entire body, O’Leary returned home to shell-shocked parents. How do people come together and overcome adversity after their world combusts?
Inspiration 
Fast-forward to July 2013 when Steve Maples – CEO of Von Braun Center – heard O’Leary speak at a convention. Maples was so touched by O’Leary’s narrative of triumph that he was compelled to bring the life affirming story to the Tennessee Valley. And this Tuesday, November 19, 2013, you can hear John O’Leary in Huntsville at the Von Braun Center’s Mark C. Smith Concert Hall at 10am.
Maples said, “I could not stop thinking about our closing speaker at the conference, John O’Leary. He burned his entire body as a little boy and was expected to die that night. Through his story, he made me realize the real value of my life for the first time.
[su_pullquote]”I want every person in Huntsville to know: your life is so much bigger than you realize; you are bigger than any trouble you are feeling today and you can impact the world starting right here in Huntsville.” -Steve Maples, Von Braun Center CEO[/su_pullquote] “I want every person in Huntsville to know: your life is so much bigger than you realize; you are bigger than any trouble you are feeling today and you can impact the world starting right here in Huntsville.”
The Power of One
O’Leary will present his keynote presentation that transformed Maples’ life, The Power of One, at the Von Braun Center on November 19, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. You can watch a clip from this presentation here.
Tickets for this event are $30 with groups of 10 or more receiving a $5 per ticket discount. Also a free soft drink, with food purchase and ticket stub, is offered in the Bud Light Pub following the event.
More John O’Leary
Want to learn more about John O’Leary before Tuesday’s presentation? A free online program from O’Leary, the ‘Spark! 21 Day Challenge to Ignite Your Possibility,’ can be accessed through O’Leary’s website. O’Leary’s first book will be released in 2014.
- Visit John O’Leary’s website
- Find John O’Leary on Facebook
- Follow John O’Leary on Twitter
- Read John O’Leary’s Blog
Event Information: John O’Leary in Huntsville
Date: Tuesday, November 19th
Time: 10am-1pm
Location: Mark C. Smith Concert Hall, Von Braun Center
Cost: $30 per person, $25 for groups of 10 or more
Tickets: VBC Box Office (Mon. – Fri. | 10am – 5pm), Online, or by calling 1.800.745.3000
Guest blogger for We Are Huntsville. Are you interested in writing a post for our site? Email katelyn@wearehuntsville.com.
