U.S. Paralympic bronze medalist Ian Lynch was injured just before heading to the 2015 Parapan Am games in Toronto. He is back and training hard to make the trip to Rio to bring the gold back to the U.S.  He has been a permanent fixture on the U.S. Men’s wheelchair basketball team since 2010 and in addition to being on the bronze-medal winning team at the London Paralympics, he helped the team clinch two Parapan Am gold medals in 2007 and 2011, and a silver medal at the 2014 IWBF World Champion-ships in Incheon, South Korea.  

Name: Ian Lynch
Classification: 1.0
Height: 5’8"
Date of Birth: April 20, 1984
Place of Birth: Coon Rapids, Minn.
Hometown: Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Current Residence: Bellevue, Ky.
High School: Champlin Park High School, Brooklyn Park, Minn.
College: University of Wisconsin-Whitewater 
Major: Elementary Education
Year of graduation: 2008

Career Highlights:
2014 IWBF World Championship, silver medal; 2012 Paralympic Games, bronze medal; 2012 Italian Champion; 2011 Parapan American Games, gold medal; 2007 Parapan American Games, gold medal; 2007 NIWBT Championship; 2005 NIWBT; 2004 NIWBT Champion; 2003 NIWBT Champion.

Competition Wheelchair:
Top End

Personal Background: Ian’s parents are Bradford and Kathleen Lynch.  He has two brothers, Ryan and Sean.

Hobbies: Coaching, following the NBA, learning new things.

NWBA: You were on your way to the Parapan Am games last summer to help the team qualify for Rio and bring home the gold.  What happened?
Ian:  Five days before heading out I hurt my hand and wrist while I was saving a ball on the baseline.  It was a very basic move I’d done many times before but unfortunately something went wrong. I realized that I couldn’t do what I needed to do for the team.  I watched the games from home and felt very lucky to be a part of such a great team.  We all support each other and help each other out. Johnny (Gilbert) had to drop everything to be there and play for the team and he did a great job in Toronto.  He taught me these rotator cuff exercises that I do all the time.

NWBA: Who is your hero and why?  
Ian:  My dad.  He always made sure I did all my homework.  He helped me with my math problems every night.  He always said if I wanted to be good at shooting I needed to shoot a lot and practice.

NWBA: When did you start playing wheelchair basketball?  
Ian: I started playing at 9 years old at the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Center.  (He was introduced to wheelchair basketball by his therapist Susan Hagel, a women's wheelchair basketball legend.)

NWBA: Did you play any other sports growing up?
Ian: In high school I did track and field.  I give track and field athletes a lot of credit. I found the chairs so uncomfortable.  It is a great cardio sport and it turned me into an athlete. It also helped give me a competitive advantage in wheelchair basketball.

NWBA: What is your profession? 
Ian: I work with a company called Skool Aid.  They develop and run after school pro-grams.  I teach wheelchair basketball.  I also started working in web design and just recently started a job with Dick’s Sporting Goods.

NWBA: Do you or did you ever play wheelchair basketball professionally over-seas?
Ian: I played three seasons for SSD Santa Lucia Sport in Rome from 2010-2013.

NWBA: Do you have any volunteer activities?
Ian: I coach the Cincinnati Dragons wheelchair basketball team and I also coach Top soccer.

NWBA: Did you follow the NIWBT that just ended at Edinboro University?
Ian: I actually coached Derrick Bisnett when he was in high school. He is an amazing player.  I also helped coach Rose Hollermann when she was 12 at the Courage Kenny Center. She is a beast. It’s cool to see how far they have come and what great players they are.

Note: Bisnett led the 2016 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks to victory and was named 2015-16 Intercollegiate Season MVP of the recently completed National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Tournament.  U.S. Paralympian Rose Holler-mann led the UTA Lady Movin’ Mavs to the Women’s NIWBT title and named the first Dr. Tim Nugent Tournament MVP. 

NWBA: Do you have any pre-game rituals or superstitions? 
Ian: I always have to have snacks on hand.  I get hungry while I am playing and need to replenish my energy so I have a drink like Gatorade and a cereal bar like Nutri grain on hand.  I eat before the game, at half time and in the middle of the game if I start to feel hungry.  On the court I am giving everything I’ve got and I have realized that my body needs to fuel up.  I hate that feeling of being hungry so I make sure that I am prepared.

NWBA: Why do you play wheelchair basketball? 
Ian:  I play because I like to exercise.  I am committed to my teammates.  It’s fun.  I don’t play to inspire.  It’s not about being an inspiration.  I did a couple of interviews recently and the focus of the story was on me being an inspiration.  I don’t want to be perceived that way.  I wanted to focus on the sport and my job as an athlete. 

NWBA: What is your favorite basketball moment? 
Ian: Winning the bronze medal at the 2012 Paralympics in London.  But now I want the gold.

NWBA: Do you follow any sports? If so, which are your favorite teams? 
Ian: I follow wheelchair basketball and my favorite teams are the Cincinnati Dragons and the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater Warhawks.

NWBA: What is your short term goal? 
Ian: For me it’s about preparing to be at Rio and improving my skills, doing it everyday.

NWBA: What is your long term goal?
Ian: Right now my focus is on getting to Rio. I don’t think too much about anything past that right now.

Cover story Photo credit: Joe Kusumoto