Relentless perseverance pays off for Tynan O'Connor '23

Every Lenoir-Rhyne University student draws inspiration — no matter the size — from somewhere.

Tynan O’Connor’s life is filled with challenges that motivate him every day to be better than the day before. As a first-generation college student, he knows what it’s like to overcome obstacles in his relentless pursuit of an education, and he draws inspiration from his parents’ hardships. Due to those hardships, O’Connor didn’t think college was financially attainable, yet he wakes up every morning to overcome self-doubt and embrace the path to earn that degree, the first in his family.

“Not only will I graduate, but I am also going to go to graduate school,” O’Connor said.

The road to Lenoir-Rhyne for this student-athlete has not been an easy one.

Grit and resilience fuel student’s determination

O’Connor’s life experiences have played an important role in pursuing a degree and motivating him to stay on track.

For example, his family’s home was destroyed when Hurricane Sally hit Pensacola, Florida, in 2020. Three oak trees fell on the house. No one – a family of eight and a dozen or more farm animals – was hurt. At the same time, he had just completed his associate degree and was at the University of West Florida.

“It was eight people without a house, and we don’t have much money,” he said. “We live paycheck to paycheck. But, I told my mom, we’re given that burden because we can handle it. I don’t know that a lot of people know how to handle a hard life.”

Being the first in his entire family to go to college has not come without a sense of pressure for O’Connor.

“I am the first O’Connor ever to have any degree,” he said. “Every year, I wonder, ‘can I afford this?’ That’s why I often work full-time. I bought every book for myself and paid for every class for two years to get my associate degree. Then, I realized the cost of a university education doubled.”

But being the first also gives him the grit and resilience to work hard to give back to his family one day. That is his biggest aspiration. When O’Connor says that his family lives paycheck to paycheck, he’s not joking. In addition to his father teaching him to work, his mother is determined to support his dream.

“If I had not received scholarship support to Lenoir-Rhyne, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “Plus, my mom has been putting money in a shoebox from a bakery she sets up on the weekends at the fresh local market.”

Balancing Life, School and Weightlifting

For O’Connor, the idea of his dreams taking a backseat to the financial hardships in his life isn’t an option.

“I’ve been doing Olympic weightlifting for three years,” O’Connor, a student-athlete, said. “During those three years before I came to Lenoir-Rhyne, I followed Travis Mash, our head coach, because he has the best lifters. One particular guy beat me every single time I went to a meet. So when I found out Coach Mash was leading a collegiate team, I tried to get on it as soon as possible.”

O’Connor also learned that LR’s exercise science program is reputable and growing, so he gained interest in transferring to Lenoir-Rhyne.

Learning at a young age to be accountable for himself with an unmatched work ethic taught by his father, O’Connor displays that same competitive spirit in his workouts.

“I’m not one of those athletes that need a lot of attention,” O’Connor said. “I need my program. I need to know what Coach Mash wants me to do to be successful. But, I don’t need constant encouragement. Yet, when I do need something, he’s super supportive.”

O’Connor is humble and honest to admit that he’s never wanted to go to college, yet it’s part of his story that drives his success.

“I’ve never liked school,” he said. “But in high school, when I started lifting, I realized it was something I’m passionate about. And I love helping others, so with an exercise science degree, I hope to gain the knowledge I need to become the best strength and conditioning coach I can be.”

Before he arrived at LR, O’Connor managed a full workload – he slept eight hours, worked eight hours and filled the remainder of his day with school and training. However, with a new focus to only train and take classes, he’s learning to adjust to free time.

“I’m just so used to always being busy and working full-time, so the first couple of weeks, I was going a little stir crazy,” O’Connor said. “I have a few hours in the day that are free. You can ask some of my teammates; they find me walking around campus.”

As a result of these experiences, O’Connor now sees his education as his current job.

“I’m here to get my work done, get my degree and become the best I can be,” O’Connor stated. “On days I don’t feel like training, I remind myself why I’m here. I’m not going to be negative. Weightlifting is easy to me because of the way I grew up.”

O’Connor’s journey to Lenoir-Rhyne reveals not only the power of his hardships to transform his life but also the valuable contribution he brings to the campus community.