Individuals with blindness or visual impairment often get the short end of the stick, especially for activities that rely on vision, such as sports. It’s only an unfortunate reality for them to be excluded from the field, given that visual acuity is their weakest point.
However, Anthony Candela has made himself living proof that sports for the visually impaired isn’t impossible. His achievements are enough testament to show that people like himself are still able and deserving to play in the field. In both his books, Stand Up or Sit Out and Vision Dreams: A Parable, Anthony shares how he has achieved his goals despite his natural limitations.
He has written his books to empower others and educate those outside the community. Through his narratives, he has shown that people like him have the relentless drive and determination to triumph in fields nobody would have expected them to compete in.
Overcoming Adversity: Anthony’s Story of Defying Expectations
In his memoir, Anthony Candela narrated that despite having to navigate through poor eyesight and a slow, grueling trek to blindness, he still chose to live his happiness and compete as an athlete. Defying expectations and breaking restrictions, Anthony not only joined competitions such as wrestling and marathons but also won over others who were more able.
“Crossing the finish line, I bent over to catch my breath, convinced I had failed in my mission. My running partner informed me we had completed the loop in 11:22, a nifty 7:20 pace. I had beaten the marathon man by twenty-five seconds!” Anthony Candela in Stand up or Sit Out.
The author didn’t write his story to boast about his accomplishments—an impressive list of wins despite living with blindness. Instead, he hopes that his readers will learn to understand a little bit more about what life is like living with visual impairment. Through the ups and downs in his narrative, Anthony hopes his readers will appreciate how individuals like himself handle challenges.
And in this empathy, he hopes to see more people interested in watching or supporting sports for the visually impaired.
He has carefully curated his story to appeal to those inclined to enjoy sports in general, sharing his experiences in an impressive variety of sports. His book not only imparts lessons about visual impairment and kindness towards these individuals, but it also shows a unique perspective of the other side of a seeing field of sports.
But aside from what the author has dabbled in, what are other sports for the visually impaired?
What Are Sports for the Visually Impaired?
The Paralympics is at the forefront of mediums celebrating people with disabilities. Catered specifically for these individuals, this multisport event hosts a number of sports for the visually impaired and other impairments lived by people.
Running/Sprints
Among its most popular events is the sprint or running competition, where the visually impaired contestant is typically paired with a sighted guide-runner if they wish to be accompanied by one. In these track events, para-athletes are classified depending on their impairments or acuity. To make things fair among these classifications, contestants are made to wear blindfolds when necessary.
These competitions may often require guides to run with the athletes, seemingly defeating the purpose of allowing these individuals to show their own capacity. But these guide-runners aren’t allowed to push or pull these athletes, which means they only win if they’re fast enough themselves.
Goalball
Goalball is one of the most exciting sports in the Paralympics. As a team competition, players must work together—techniques are all internally planned and organized. The game is quite similar to soccer, but it’s played in a way that’s more comfortable for the level of mobility and acuity of visually impaired individuals. Players throw the ball with bells inside into their opponent’s goal, and the team with the most goals wins.
This is one of those sports for the visually impaired that is extremely fun to watch and is quite exciting even from the audience’s seats.
Swimming
This is one of those sports that may seem quite challenging and intimidating for these crowds. However, athletes who have mastered staying oriented during these competitions make it seem very easy. The event is just like any other swimming competition and doesn’t really have many differences from its normal counterpart.
Hence, this is definitely a competition that’s easy to love and enjoy.
Blind Wrestling
Just as how Anthony Candela did it, wrestling is a sport that’s most common and played by blind or visually impaired people. It’s among the most natural sports for the visually impaired, given the competitors don’t have to break contact throughout the competition. This makes the whole thing more manageable for them to navigate and play. While it can be pretty different than usual, this change doesn’t take away the fun and excitement during the game.
Archery
This may seem surprising, but blind archery is a thing. The whole competition is still closely based on typical archery, and the same equipment is used with sighted archers. The only difference is that extra aids are used for foot position or grips. Electronic aiming aids may also exist to help those who have trouble with these elements.
These are some of the most exciting sports for the visually impaired. Two of which are sports played and competed in by Anthony Candela. If you want to read his story, grab a copy of his memoir Stand Up or Sit Out now!
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