Paracyclist Peter Ryan running in local elections in Thurles | Sticky Bottle

Peter Ryan is a busy man and looking to get busier; he's running for the local elections in Thurles and if you live there he wants your vote.

Paracyclist Peter Ryan is running for
Fine Gael in the upcoming local elections in his native Tipperary.

A veteran of the international cycling
scene and current member of the national squad working towards Tokyo 2020, Ryan
said he wants to give something back to his local community.

He said the people of Thurles had been
of great encouragement and assistance to him when diagnosed with a rare
condition resulting in sight loss.

And now he wanted to run for office and
secure a council seat so he could make a difference and improve the area.

He is standing in the Thurles electoral
area for a seat in the Templemore-Thurles Municipal District.

Lara Gillespie attacks Dolomite stage as Giro hits high mountains

Video - Italy's hero Balsamo mobbed mid-stage during Giro TT

Ryan, a former Tipperary minor hurler, competed in the men’s B time-trial
and the B tandem road race with Polish-born Marcin Mizgajski as pilot at the
Rio Paralympics.

He was diagnosed with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) almost 10 years ago. It is a rare genetic
disorder resulting in substantial sight loss.

The Upperchurch-Drombane man played Dr Harty Cup hurling for three
years for Thurles CBS.

And in 2008 he featured in the All-Ireland (Croke Cup) final against De La
Salle, Waterford.

While, by his own admission, he went off the rails a
little after his condition was diagnosed, he soon turned it around.

Now he rides for Ireland on the international paracycling
scene and went to the 2016 Paralympics.