Stories

Kevin’s Story: Speed Skating

A deafblind speed skater skates as fast as he can to his dream. by Kevin Frost Like every little boy in Ottawa, I grew up a hard core hockey...

Quinn’s Story: Dance, Horseback Riding, and Running

by Quinn Burch I was born at Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, NY on August 21st, 1990. I was a hearing, seeing infant and walked before I was one year...

Nicholas’ Story: Hiking the Appalachian Trail

By Nicholas Abrahamson Even as a small kid, I always dreamed of hiking the Appalachian Trail. I enjoyed hiking, and I found a quiet beauty in the mountains that...

Bruce’s Story: Traveling

by Bruce Visser I was born with hearing loss and, as I grew up, slowly became deaf; as a teenager, I began to lose my vision. Later, as an...

Jason’s Story: Running

by Jason Corning I am hard-of-hearing and have acromatopsia, which means I have difficulty seeing in bright light. I use sign language and voice for myself and have always...

Sarah’s Story: Ice Hockey and Tae kwon do

Sarah K. McMillen Ice Hockey I grew up in Albany, New York, and attended a mainstream school in Albany; I am deaf and also have Usher syndrome. After high...

Rachel’s Story: Triathlon

by Rachel Weeks When I was growing up, the question would often arise: ‘if given a choice, would you rather be blind or deaf?’ As a hearing impaired child,...

Maricar’s Story: Running

by Maricar Marquez My first triathlon was the Seacrest-TOBAY Triathlon in Oyster Bay, New York. It consisted of three events: a 1.2-mile swim, a 9-mile bike ride, and a...

Kristine’s Story: Swimming Triathlon

by Kristine D’Arbelles When Maricar brought up the notion of participating in a triathlon, I thought it was a terrific idea for her but not necessarily for me. I’m...

Heidi’s Story: Mountain Climbing

by Heidi Zimmer I am a third-generation Californian, born in San Diego in 1951. My parents, who were scholars, didn’t have any specific expectations of what their children might...