In Episode 15 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, world champion blind sailor Lucy Hodges MBE joined us to discuss the exhilarating sport of blind sailing. She talked about:

Her visual impairment

Other sports she enjoyed prior to getting into sailing as a teenager

How her dad got her into sailing

The adaptations of sailing without sight

The different vision classifications of blind sailors

Some of the events she has competed in and the titles she has won in blind sailing

The nonprofit, Blind Sailing UK, in which she is involved

Advice for blind and low vision individuals who are interested in getting into sailing

Learn more about Blind Sailing UK at http://gbrblindsailing.co.uk. Follow Blind Sailing UK on Facebook at http://facebook.com/blindsailinguk and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/blindsailinggbr.  Follow Lucy Hodges MBE on Facebook at http://facebook.com/LucyHodgesMBE and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lucyloosailing. To learn more about blind sailing resources around the world, check out the Blind Sailing International website at http://www.blindsailinginternational.com.

In Episode 14 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we visit with Bryce Weiler, an ardent disability advocate, sports commentator, and all-around talented young man. Wiler talked about:

His visual impairment

How he was mainstreamed in public schools before enrolling in the Indiana School for the Blind where he graduated from high school in 2010

His college experience attending the University of Evansville and Western Illinois University

How he got into sports broadcasting in college doing color commentary for radio broadcasts of University of Evansville athletic events

How he has worked with various play-by-play announcers and has adapted to their styles to be an effective color commentator

How he prepares for a game broadcast and how many hours are involved in this process

How and why he co-founded The Beautiful Lives Project

Types of unique sporting events his nonprofit has put on for kids and adults with disabilities

His work to make stadiums and arenas more accessible to fans with disabilities

His role as the disability consultant for the Baltimore Orioles and how he got the team to wear Braille jerseys during a regular season game in 2018

 

Learn more about The Beautiful Lives Project at http://www.beautifullives.org. Follow Weiler on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bryceweiler. Check out a sample of his color commentary of a University of Evansville soccer match at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2hlMPoWHnY

In Episode 13 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, Katie Atkinson and Noah Beckman of Ohio Blind Soccer join the conversation to talk about:

Their backgrounds and how each got involved in blind sports

Atkinson’s educational and professional background in working with blind individuals

Beckman’s childhood and sports he played growing up being visually impaired

Why Atkinson started Ohio Blind Soccer and her role as a coach

Beckman’s introduction to blind soccer and what he enjoys most about playing this adapted sport

The rules of blind soccer, a.k.a. five-aside soccer or blind football

The benefits of playing blind soccer and other sports for blind and visually impaired individuals

Learn more about Ohio Blind Soccer at https://ohioblindsoccer.weebly.com/. Follow Ohio Blind Soccer on Facebook at http://facebook.com/ohioblindsoccer and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/blindohio. Check out some of Katie Atkinson’s blind soccer training videos on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFvZ-GuHU1A2vdzTCy2xkmw?view_as=subscriber

In this episode of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, Stephen Guerra of the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA) joined the conversation to discuss:

His visual impairment

His childhood and early years

His college years attending and graduating from Hofstra University

His career working in assistive technology and running his own business

How he was first introduced to blind sports, including goal ball and beep baseball

How he got involved in the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA)

The history of beep baseball and the movers and shakers within the NBBA

The international reach of beep baseball and specifically how the Austin Blackhawks have led this effort

What blind baseball is and how this sport differs from beep baseball

What it would take to get beep baseball into the Paralympic Games

Learn more about the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA) at www.nbba.org.

In Episode 11 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, hear Part 2 of our interview with Michelle Jorgensen, a blind MMA and judo competitor who has won 15 medals. Jorgensen discussed:  

What it was like competing in the 2020 IBSA Pan American Championships in judo in Montreal back in January

Who she faced in the competition and the dramatic three-round match she had with this competitor from Uruguay

The calm attitude she had before the competition and how it helped her

The ultimate outcome of the competition

The unique dynamics of an international competition with so many languages and cultures coming together in one place

How blind and visually impaired athletes are classified in the Paralympics

The accepting and welcoming nature of the MMA and judo communities

Advice for blind and visually impaired individuals on what first step they can take to get involved in MMA or judo

In case you missed it, listen to Episode 10 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast to hear Part 1 of our interview with Michelle Jorgensen. You can follow her on Instagram at @embracedchaos93.

In Episode 10 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we feature Part 1 of Greg Lindberg’s interview with mixed martial arts competitor Michelle Jorgensen. She discussed:

Her eye condition

The challenges of finding sports to play as a visually impaired child

Her introduction to mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2017 after taking a self-defense class

How she got into judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and Muay Thai kickboxing

Unique strategies she uses as a blind MMA competitor

How she started working with Kathy Hubble, a highly accomplished Canadian National Judo champion and coach

 

Listen to Episode 11 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast to hear Part 2 of our interview with Michelle Jorgensen. You can follow her on Instagram at @embracedchaos93.

In Episode 9 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, Dave White and Jaime Gonzalez of the Blind Stokers Club talk with host Greg Lindberg about:

- How the club started from a small event in 2005

- The roles of the sighted captain and blind stoker when riding together on a tandem bike

- The social benefits and enjoyment of tandem cycling

- The club’s annual Cycling For Sight event

- Other events the club has hosted

- Some unique virtual rides the club has done in the midst of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

- How interested riders can connect with a potential tandem partner, whether you are sighted or visually impaired, around the U.S.

Learn more about the Blind Stokers Club in San Diego, CA at www.blindstokersclub.org.

In Episode 8 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, Greg Lindberg talks to Pam McGonigle, a Paralympic gold medalist and currently the director of development at the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA). She discusses:

- Her family and guide dog, Maida, who actually runs with her and was trained through the Running Guides Program at Guiding Eyes for the Blind

Her role with USABA

Competing in four Paralympic Games in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 and winning medals in track and field

A variety of sports for the blind and visually impaired

Specific events and opportunities offered by USABA

Learn more about the United States Association of Blind Athletes at www.usaba.org.

In Episode 7 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, certified personal trainer and aerobics instructor Leslie Spoone joined the conversation to talk about:

Simple physical exercises blind and visually impaired individuals can do from home during the Coronavirus pandemic or at any other time

How to do chair yoga

Using a white cane to perform certain individual exercises or exercises with other individuals

Strategies to make inaccessible exercise equipment more accessible to blind and visually impaired users

The fact that more blind and visually impaired individuals are very active than many stereo types portray

Leslie welcomes questions and comments at [email protected]. As mentioned during the podcast episode, she will also be holding some free Zoom conference calls on chair yoga through the American Council of the Blind. More details on these calls can be found here.

In Episode 6 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, Greg Lindberg talks to Denzell Ferges, a goal ball player from Maryland. They discuss how he became visually impaired as a child, how he got into goal ball, the rules of the game, how the sport of goal ball has changed his life for the better, and his goals within the sport.

 

Learn more about the blind sport of goal ball on the USABA website here. Check out the USA Goal Ball Facebook group for an active community of goal ball enthusiasts.