What better way to kick off the week leading into Mothers Day than sitting down and talking with my very own mom! If you’ve read my book you know how critical a role my parents played in my life growing up. Even today they still play a critical role. In this episode mom and I chat about her own life growing up, how that shaped her, and then we get into how she and dad teamed up to navigate through the tough decade of the 1990s when I was going through my diagnosis, treatment and first few years of coping with blindness. We get into much more than that and I have no doubt you’ll come away from this episode with food for thought and ways to think about how to keep an eye on your own vision.

Jared Hara lost his sight as he was becoming a teenager. Through the strength of his family and a desire to be something Jared found his way to playing guitar and eventually music. Jared and I met when we were both teenagers at a music camp that his family put together for blind and visually impaired kids. While I haven’t talked much about my passion and love of music here on this podcast yet, it’s largely thanks to Jared and his family that I was able to develop a certain technical proficiency at guitar. So sit back and enjoy as Jared and I chat about his story and how the strength of family and friends is so important to our well-being.

Running 26.2 miles is a feat. Running 26.2 miles guiding a blind guy is an extra feat. Especially when that blind guy is a super young cocky Kyle Coon. Joel Diaz guided me for my second ever marathon at Disney 2016. Joel also became a good buddy and has had some pretty cool and unique experiences apart from dragging my butt around Disney World.

I haven’t talked about it very much yet here on the podcast, but I’ve been an amateur musician for the majority of my life. Today I sit down and chat with the man who had a real hand in shaping my technique as a guitarist. John Monarch went to school to be a scientist but always had more of a passion for music. He attended the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California and just kept trying his hand at different careers until he found his passion for teaching guitar. Sit back and listen to his story and journey. Then go check him out at www.crashmonarch.com and www.JaxGuitarLessons.com. Also, if you want to see the full video of the little ditty you hear before the actual interview check out my Youtube channel at https://youtu.be/1JAT8UmiD50 where you can find lots of videos of me playing guitar as well as the video versions of Kickin’ It With The KTrain.

Freedom of movement isn’t something I take for granted. Today let me introduce you to the person who helped give me so much confidence in being able to navigate my surroundings whether I was in the halls at school or traveling across the country or world. Karlin Michelson has been an Orientation and Mobility Specilist for more than 30 years, seven of those years working with me. I’m sure I caused her many headaches during that time. But now it’s time to hear just how she taught me how to navigate in the space around me and how those skills still carry me through to this day.

Zoe Rom is the Editor-In-Chief of Trailrunner Magazine. More than that though she’s a good friend and running partner. Listen as Zoe and I chat about her running and journalism career. Check out what Zoe says is her most impactful article here as well https://www.trailrunnermag.com/people/unpaving-the-way/

Fred Morgan lost his sight in his mid 30s. He was a high school drop out and wasn’t sure how he was going to make things work. However, a mindset of “What does this button do” helped him keep trying things out until he found his path. Fred and I have had many an amazing conversation over the years since we were both call center agents at Lighthouse works and have both gone on to have some success. Sit back and listen to Fred’s journey and I think you’ll understand how and why he has had such an impact on me.

There are a handful of people out there that I call up when I want to do something a little crazy or who I know will be up for just about any adventure. Alex Libbin is one of those people. Listen as Alex and I chat about his journey into the triathlon world and a couple of the fun times we’ve had, especially on a bike.

My buddy Jared Hara and I host a little Youtube Talk Show—some might call it public therapy—and we call it Blind Sweaters. A couple of weeks ago Jared called me up asking for some advice and to tell me about a little situation he found himself in. We chat about that situation and explore some other topics here on this Bonus episode of Kickin’ It With The KTrain/Blind Sweaters. Please give the episode a listen and please engage with us on social media.

It’s Boston Marathon Time! Let’s meet the man who guided me to my first Boston Qualifying Time and who guided me in my first Boston Marathon. Here’s Trinity Terry!