As an Irish international gymnast, Kieran Behan is used to defying the odds.

And when it comes to learning from the school of hard knocks, the 22-year-old rising-star has graduated with a first class honours degree this year.

Nine years ago, Tolworth Gymnastics Club’s Behan was facing up to the prospect of never walking again let alone performing on the world stage.

The Croydon-based student was wheelchair bound for just under three years after a training accident caused major neurological injuries.

He had only just returned from a year out of the sport after an operation to remove a tumour from his leg left him unable to walk.

Having put that four-year hell behind him, he spent 2009 and 2010 sidelined having ruptured cruciate ligaments in both knees.

His first full year of international competition – this year – saw him claim the Challenge World Cup series floor title last week – becoming Ireland’s first ever international gymnastics gold medalist in the process.

In many ways just getting to an Olympics would make Behan one of sport’s winners and he is out to make up for lost time.

“When I was 11, I had a tumour in my leg that they thought was cancerous, but the operation to remove it went a bit wrong,” he said.

“They left the tourniquet on for too long and it caused severe nerve damage and put me in a wheelchair for just under a year.

“When I started gymnastics again, I hit my head on the high bar during a routine and the injury was so severe I had to learn to walk, to eat, to talk and to basically do everything. I was in a wheelchair for nearly three years.

“They didn’t think I would walk again let alone compete at gymnastics.

“There is nothing I can do about all the time I’ve missed. All I can do now is show people what I am capable of and I’m determined to do that.”

Behan, whose parents are Irish, has had no financial assistance to pursue his dream because of his injuries.

He raised the £12,000 he needed to compete on the international stage this year by selling sweets and washing cars at his gym club.

It makes his recent achievement all the sweeter and Behan believes a place at January’s final qualifying event – the Olympic test meeting at the O2 – is just reward for his efforts.

“You can’t just qualify for one individual event and because of my knees I’m only really good enough to compete on the floor,” said the new world number one.

“I need the Irish team to qualify as a team for me to go, but Ireland isn’t quite there yet, but there is a chance I’ll get to compete as an individual at the final qualifying event in January.

“Ireland isn’t exactly known for its gymnastics. All of the Irish internationals train in the UK because the facilities are much better over here.

“Five of us are based at Tolworth and if we can keep progressiing the team can qualify for the 2016 Games.”