Dr. Ronan Tynan to Speak, Perform at Sanders-Brown Dinner Nov. 11
Singer, physician, athlete and inspirational speaker Dr. Ronan Tynan is no stranger to adversity. When Tynan was 20, his legs had to be amputated below the knee after an auto accident caused serious complications. Just weeks after the operation, he was climbing up the steps of his college dorm, and within a year, he was winning gold medals in the Paralympics as a multitalented athlete.
Between 1981 and 1984, Tynan amassed 18 gold medals and 14 world records, of which he still holds nine. Trained as a physician, Tynan began his remarkable singing career through formal music study at the age of 33, achieving great success as a member of the famed Irish Tenors prior to establishing his career as a solo artist.
After overcoming such unbelievable odds and maneuvering numerous difficult obstacles, Tynan’s faces a challenge shared by millions: His mother’s vibrant spirit has been taken away by the long night of Alzheimer’s disease.
Tynan will speak and perform at the 27th annual University of Kentucky Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Foundation Dinner to be held Nov. 11. The event, presented and sponsored by Alltech, will be held at the Lexington Center in downtown Lexington, with more than 600 people expected to attend.
Each year, the dinner hosts a guest speaker who is either an example of successful aging or who has a personal connection to Alzheimer’s and age-related diseases. Previous guest speakers have included such well-known figures as Captain Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, John Wooden, Barbara Bush, Colin Powell, John Glenn, Bob Dole, Art Linkletter, Willard Scott, Lauren Bacall, Andy Rooney, Hugh Downs, Newt Gingrich, Ed McMahon, Dr. Pearse Lyons and James W. Host.
Tynan will join a long list of accomplished keynote speakers who are examples of successful aging. The renowned Irish tenor is known for his trademark performances at places and events including: the White House, Yankee Stadium, the funeral of President Ronald Reagan, the 80th birthday party of President George H. W. Bush, the Belmont Stakes, and the wedding of former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Tynan has a longtime connection with the Bluegrass, through his work with the University of Kentucky School of Music. Dr. Tynan, a friend of Dr. Lyons and Alltech, has shared his vocal and speaking talents as a contributor to Alltech events. He delivered performances during the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2010 in Lexington, Ky., and during Alltech’s annual International Symposiums. Alltech endows Dr. Tynan’s position as Artist-in-Residence at the University of Kentucky Opera Theatre. Dr. Tynan serves as a mentor to students who have received scholarships through Alltech’s Vocal Scholarship Competition, which awards $500,000 in scholarships annually to vocal performers attending the University of Kentucky.
The dinner will fund internationally recognized ongoing research at the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, where researchers are engaged in the battle against Alzheimer's disease and other age-related illnesses. Individual tickets to the dinner are $175 each, with proceeds benefiting SBCoA. Corporate and individual table sponsorships are available starting at $1,500. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the SBCoA Foundation at (859) 323-5374 or lisa.greer@uky.edu for reservations or more information.
