The Eyes Free Sports Podcast

In Episode 94 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we meet Chuck Gottus from the Pittsburgh, PA area. The blind tennis player and bowler spoke about: Where he was born and grew up When he was diagnosed with a visual impairment and what it meant to him at the time Sports he played as a youngster and when he realized mainstream sports were too challenging because of his vision changing How he got into b...

In Episode 93 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we chat with Pearl Outlaw of Portland, OR. The visually impaired rower and skier spoke about: Where she was born and grew up When she learned she was visually impaired and how this impacted her life How she got into rowing and competing on an NCAA Division III rowing team with fully sighted teammates Her journey to competing in international rowing co...

In Episode 92 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we meet Eliana Mason. The longtime goalball player who has competed and medaled in two Paralympic Games discussed: Her childhood growing up in the Pacific Northwest Her visual impairment and how much vision she has Her education and career working in the mental health field How she was introduced to goalball Her career competing in goalball tournament...

In Episode 91 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we chat with Zephryn “Zeph” Victor, Jr., a.k.a. Comedian See No Evil, from Fort Lauderdale, FL. The longtime goalball player has recently found a new niche playing beep baseball in the last few years while balancing his career in entertainment. During the conversation, Victor spoke about: Where he was born and his childhood His visual impairment How h...

In Episode 90 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we meet Dana Costa, president of the United States Blind Tennis Association (USBTA) and the Highland Park Tennis Club in the Pittsburgh, PA area. During the conversation, Costa discussed: Her family and being the mom of a visually impaired child How she was introduced to adaptive sports, specifically tennis for the blind and visually impaired How blin...

In Episode 89 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we catch up with John Kusku, a longtime goalball player who has competed at multiple Paralympic Games for Team USA. During the interview, Kusku spoke about: - His family and early years growing up What caused his visual impairment His education and career as a math teacher How he got into goalball and his lengthy career on the goalball court Competing...

In Episode 88 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we meet Blake Steinecke, a visually impaired mountain biker and member of the U.S. blind hockey team from the San Diego, CA area. During the interview, Steinecke spoke about: His childhood and education The sports he played growing up How he became visually impaired as a teenager How he got into mountain biking and how he has adapted it to be an acces...

In Episode 87 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we meet Lyn Lindbergh, founder of Couch to Active. The company provides virtual fitness programs and has developed a decent following from blind and visually impaired individuals. During the conversation, Lindbergh spoke about: Her personal and professional backgrounds Why she decided to start Couch to Active and what drew her to helping the blind and...

In Episode 86 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we meet Lindsey LaVere, of North Street, MI. A longtime dancer, she has recently gotten into taking adaptive dance classes and even teaching a dance class for individuals with disabilities. During the conversation, LaVere talked about: - Where she was born and grew up - How she suddenly lost her eyesight as a young adult - Her career in dance and what...

In Episode 85 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we meet Samir Mahir, president of the International Blind Tennis Association (IBTA). During the interview, Mahir spoke about: His personal and professional backgrounds - How he got interested in sports, specifically tennis How he got connected to adaptive sports, specifically blind tennis The history of blind tennis around the world An overview of the...

In Episode 84 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we meet Demetris “D-Mo” Morrow, a longtime beep baseball player and martial arts competitor in judo. During the conversation, Morrow spoke about: Where he was born and grew up - His eye condition How he got into adaptive sports for the blind His introduction to beep baseball and his playing career with multiple teams His current role on the National B...

In Episode 83 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, our guest is Kevin Brown from the Washington, D.C. area. A blind adaptive athlete with multiple athletic achievements to his name, Brown talked about: Growing up in a military family -His eye condition and a sibling with the same diagnosis His education and attending the University of Virginia where he got a taste of Division I athletics The sports he...

In Episode 82 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we chat with Omar Salem of Field of Vision, a startup company developing an innovative device for blind sports fans. During the conversation, Salem spoke about: The professional backgrounds of himself and his fellow co-founders of the startup company What inspired the three of them to launch Field of Vision An overview of how their technology has been...

In Episode 81 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we are joined by Ethan Johnston, a longtime beep baseball player who currently plays for the Gateway Archers out of the St. Louis, MO area. During the conversation, Johnston discussed: His early years and childhood living in Ethiopia How he became blind What schools for the blind in Africa are like How he ended up coming to the United States His educa...

In Episode 80 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we speak with Koni Sims, a longtime advocate for the blind and visually impaired who now serves as a member of the American Council of the Blind’s board of directors. She is also a member of a new committee developed to oversee ACB’s Get Up and Get Moving campaign. During the conversation, Sims spoke about: Her personal and professional backgrounds He...

In Episode 79 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, our guest is Tim Kane, a highly talented blind hockey player and ambassador for the adaptive sport of blind hockey. During the discussion, Kane talked about: His early years and genetic visual impairment The sports he played growing up His education and career in sports medicine Being named to the U.S. national blind hockey team and being voted captai...

In Episode 78 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we are joined by David Brown, a three-time Paralympian in track and field and known to many as the world’s fastest blind man. During the conversation, Brown spoke about: - Where he was born and grew up - His visual impairment - His education - How he got into adaptive sports, specifically track and field - How he became a Paralympian and his Paralympi...

In Episode 77 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, our guest is Ricky Castañeda, an accomplished beep baseball and blind soccer star from Fort Worth, TX. During the conversation, he spoke about: Where he was born and grew up His visual impairment and how it runs in the family His education attending a school for the blind and mainstream schools His career goals and a career path in which he wants to b...

In Episode 76 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we welcome Jen Armbruster, a seven-time Paralympian in goalball. During the interview, Armbruster spoke about: Her early years and K-12 education Her visual impairment, coping with her diagnosis, and why she feels so lucky Getting into goalball and what drew her to the sport Her decorated Paralympic career representing Team USA on the U.S. women’s goa...

In Episode 75 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, our guest is Wilbert Turner of Cleveland, OH. A Hall of Famer in beep baseball and world recordholder as a blind bowler, Turner discussed: Where he was born and his childhood His visual impairment His education and career How he got introduced to adaptive sports His beep baseball career and induction into the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA)...

In Episode 74 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we are joined by Matt Wallace, a blind sports commentator and adaptive athlete from Pennsylvania. During the interview, Wallace spoke about: His early years and visual impairment His education and how he attended both mainstream and schools for the blind His college years and getting into sports media His experience as a commentator for fully sighted...

In Episode 73 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we speak with Jason Romero of Denver, CO. Romero is an extreme endurance athlete who has competed in numerous races and events that few sighted individuals would even try to tackle. During the conversation, Romero discussed: Where he was born and his early years His visual impairment His education and career How he got into adaptive sports, specifical...

In Episode 72 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we catch up with Jacory Wiley from Atlanta, GA. Wiley is a visually impaired author, motivational speaker, and longtime beep baseball player. During the interview, Wiley talked about: Where he was born and grew up How he suddenly became visually impaired - His education and finding his passions in life How he got introduced to beep baseball and the te...

In Episode 71 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we hit the pool to visit with McClain Hermes. A two-time Paralympian in swimming, she is now pursuing a new athletic goal. During the conversation, Hermes discussed: Where she was born and her childhood Discovering her visual impairment at a very young age Her education from elementary through high school and her college career in academics and athlet...

In Episode 70 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we chat with Dr. T. Nicole Kirk, an assistant professor of health and physical education in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Georgia who has coached, taught, and researched adaptive sports for the blind and visually impaired. During the interview, Dr. Kirk spoke about: Her early interest in sports Her educational journey through some...