Marla Runyan -The First Blind Athlete in the Olympics
Marla Runyan (born January 4, 1969), is an American track and field athlete,road runner and marathon runner who is legally blind. She is a three-time national champion in the women's 5000 metres.
When Marla Runyan was 9 years old, she developed Stargardt's Disease, a form of macular degeneration that left her legally blind, but that never stopped her. From running paralympic races, she began to run able-bodied ones and in 1999 at the Pan- American Games,she won the 1,500-meter race. The next year, she placed eighth in the 1,500-meter in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, making her the first legally blind athlete to compete in the Olympics.
By 2001 she won her first of three consecutive 5000 metre National Championships. She also released her autobiography "No Finish Line: My Life As I See It". In 2002 she added the road 5K and 10K National Championships, and married her coach, Matt Lonergan.
John Bramblitt-The Blind Painter
John Bramblitt is a blind painter of American origin.John Bramblitt lost his vision in 2001 when he was 30 years old due to complications from epilepsy. At first, John says he lost hope and was in a deep depression, but then he found an outlet: painting. Since John can't see colors, he has developed a process whereby he paints by touch.
According to the artist, the colors feel different to him: white is thick and black is a little runny, so when he needs gray, he mixes the two until the texture is right.His art has been sold in over twenty countries and he has appeared internationally in print, TV, and radio. His work has received much recognition, including the "Most Inspirational Video of 2008" from YouTube and three Presidential Service Awards for his innovative art workshops.
Mark Anthony-The Blind NASCAR Driver
On January 29, 2011, Mark Anthony Riccobono took the wheel of a Ford Escape and drove solo around the Daytona International Speedway, something that's not unusual except for one thing: Riccobono is blind.
Two technologies make it possible: DriveGrip, that consists of two gloves that send vibrations over the knuckles to tell the driver how much to turn the wheel, and SpeedStrip, a cushion down the back and legs of the driver which tell them how much to accelerate.
With only 10 percent of normal vision at age 5, Riccobono continued to lose vision throughout his life. But now, as part of a program from the National Federation of the Blind, he's working to demonstrate that blind people can adjust to society and drive safely with the aid of new technology.
Christine Hà-The Blind Chef
Christine Hà won the Masterchef TV show in 2004. She was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica, gradually started losing her vision, and was almost completely blind by 2007.
In the 19 episodes of the competition third season of MasterChef, Christine Ha won seven times in both individual and team challenges, an additional three times in the top 3 group, but she also finished two times in the bottom 2/3 group. On September 10, 2012, Christine Ha was pronounced the winner of the competition, taking away $250,000, the title of MasterChef, the MasterChef trophy, and a cookbook deal.
Pete Eckert-The Blind Photographer
Pete Eckert was trained in sculpture and industrial design. He had always been a visual person and planned to study architecture at Yale, but then he started to lose his sight because of a condition called retinitis pigmentosa. Amazingly enough, he embraced photography even more after becoming blind, shooting ethereal double exposures and vivid light paintings with his Mamiyaflex TLR.
He visualizes the image he wants to create in his mind and uses his senses of sound, touch, and memory to make a photograph. "I am a visual person. I just can't see," he says.
Christopher Downey-The Blind Architect
Christopher Downey is an architect, planner, and consultant who lost his sight in 2008 after a tumor wrapped around his optic nerve. How was it possible to keep working as an architect?
He works with a blind computer scientist who has devised a way to print online maps through a tactile printer. Today, he is dedicated to creating more helpful and enriching environments for the blind and visually impaired, and he also helps in crafting design processes that are more responsive to the needs of blind clients and end-users.
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