COURTESY PHOTO | American Paralympian Rohan Murphy will visit Shelter Island School this week.

American Paralympian and wrestler Rohan Murphy will be the special guest speaker for an all-school assembly in the school auditorium on Thursday, December 6 during the last period of the day, 1:50 to 2:30 p.m.

Mr. Murphy was born with a disease that required both his legs to be amputated when he was four years old. His parents were told he would need 24-hour care for life. Instead, he took up varsity wrestling in high school, went to Penn State on a wrestling scholarship, competed on the Penn State teams from 2004 to 2006, became an accomplished powerlifter and won a bronze medal in the 2006 Paralympics in Korea, breaking the previous U.S. Paralympic record.

He has been featured on Channel 12, ABC News, in Sports Illustrated and did a commercial for the Nike “No Excuses” campaign. He is now a motivational speaker with appearances at schools and civic groups across the country. His is a story about adversity, dedication and living life with a purpose. “I accept my adversity as a gift,” he has said.

This unusual assembly program is being sponsored by four Island groups — the Lions Club, Communities That Care, the PTSA and the PBA. Although space is very limited, members of those groups who wish to attend should be at the school no later than 1:45 p.m.