The epitome of changing what’s possible: Commencement speaker, John O’Leary

Healthcare professionals are no strangers to John O’Leary, MUSC’s 2026 Commencement speaker.

A team of surgeons, specialists, nurses and physical therapists saved O’Leary’s life when, in 1987 at age 9, he suffered burns on 100% of his body after he set off an explosion while playing with matches and gasoline. Doctors gave him less than a 1% chance of survival. His mother, however, put the question to O’Leary. She asked him if he wanted to die.

His reply? “No.” He wanted to live, and with those words he began a remarkable journey of resilience, courage and purpose. He didn’t want tragedy to define him. Instead, he strove for normalcy.

“That was the start of the rest of life,” O’Leary shared on his website. “I spent five months in the hospital, endured dozens of surgeries and underwent years of physical therapy. I survived. And when life finally settled back to normal, all I wanted was for it to stay that way.”

O’Leary’s experience is a testament to the kind of collaborative care MUSC delivers every day. His survival depended not on a single provider but on a multidisciplinary team working together to support his recovery. That same patient-centered approach is central to MUSC’s training and care model. As the Class of 2026 graduates prepare to step into their respective fields, O’Leary’s story is a powerful reminder of the responsibility they carry as they enter the profoundly meaningful world of health care, where every role helps to shape how patients experience care, recovery and what is possible in their lives.

A story set aside

Despite the magnitude of his experience, for O’Leary and his family, the accident was a thing of the past, something they didn’t discuss for 20 years.

That is, until 2006, when his parents wrote “Overwhelming Odds,” a book that chronicled the family’s ordeal, what they had endured and what they had learned. As word of its publication spread, the first printing of 100 copies led to more and more printings, eventually reaching nearly 100,000 copies.

Through the book’s publication and success, O’Leary had found his voice and began sharing his story with others facing overwhelming odds. His first talk, one he describes as an “inauspicious beginning,” was to a group of third-grade Girl Scouts.

“There were only three members, but that was enough to make me sick with nerves in the parking lot,” he wrote. “I had never told anyone my story, and I was intensely afraid of public speaking.”

Still, he mustered the courage to speak. More speaking engagements followed, and his audiences continued to grow, nationally and then internationally.

In the past 20 years, O’Leary has delivered his motivational message laced with humor and emotional storytelling to millions of people across 50 states and dozens of countries. He has written two books. He hosts a popular podcast, and his story has been made into a movie.

His first book, “On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life,” became an instant best-seller when it was published in 2017. His second book, “In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning and Joy,” also became an instant bestseller when it was published in 2020.

O’Leary’s award-winning “Live Inspired Podcast” regularly hosts well-known guests such as Brené Brown, Mitch Albom, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Bob Costas and has more than 7 million downloads. Most recently, his story was turned into a full-length feature film, “Soul on Fire,” released in 2025.

For all his success as a motivational speaker to health care organizations, Fortune 100 companies, universities, faith communities and nonprofits, O’Leary’s commitment to inspiring others extends well beyond the stage and the microphone.

He served as a chaplain at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, where he facilitated organ donation, baptized sick children and was a liaison between staff and families. He established Called to Be, a nonprofit that connects individuals with transformative volunteer opportunities. He is president of Rising Above LLC and serves on the boards of the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri. He earned a B.S. degree in business administration from St. Louis University, where he also completed his clinical pastoral education.

Despite his many professional accomplishments, O’Leary said he considers his greatest success to be his marriage to his wife, Beth, their four children and his relationships with friends and family.

In every podcast, talk and book, he invites listeners and readers to embrace three simple truths:

• Our life is a sacred, awesome gift.
• We get to choose our mindset in every situation, no matter how bleak it seems.
• Together, we can change the world. Starting with our own.

As the Class of 2026 begins the next chapter, these simple truths offer a guiding light for the meaningful work that lies ahead.