AROUND TOWN: Special breakfast for U.S. Association of Blind Athletes

Pity for those who are blind or visually impaired? No way.

Those physically fit folks at the US Association of Blind Athletes’ sixth annual Common Sight, Common Vision Breakfast on Dec. 2 can run faster and farther than most people. They can wrestle you to the mat before you blink.

As Executive Director Mark Lucas says, “For our athletes, a loss of sight is never a loss of vision.”

The community got an intro into these amazing athletes as they heard featured speaker Army Capt. Ivan Castro. Zapped by shrapnel from a mortor in Operational Iraqi Freedom, he lost his right eye and had permanent loss of vision in his left as well as other injuries. Instead of stopping life as he knew it, the blind Special Forces officer hit the road, completing 21 marathons and 10 half-marathons.

Castro is one of a huge number of Wounded Warriors who are learning to live with disabilities. Are they handicapped? Don’t even think the word.

Inducted into the USABA Hall of Fame was John Morgan, who holds 14 world records in swimming and is in the USOC Hall of Fame as well. Also inducted was David Beaver, who received the Founders Award.

This year USABA reached more than 750 blind or visually impaired teens through a National Fitness Challenge providing tools for a healthier lifestyle.

Operation Mission Vision works with veterans and members of the military during rehab and reintegration into their home communities.

The annual breakfast was an opportunity to help USABA raise $1 million for its programs and it’s just $23,000 away, Lucas said.