The Eyes Free Sports Podcast eyesfreesports

In Episode 115 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we meet Charles Catherine. A native of France, Catherine has become a highly talented para-triathlete who was recently named as one of the captains of the U.S. men’s blind soccer team. During the conversation, Catherine discussed:
His childhood growing up in France
His eye condition
His education and career, including his current role with the National Organization on Disability (NOD)
His journey to the United States
How he got into endurance sports, specifically the triathlon
How he got into blind soccer and his journey moving up the ranks
How blind soccer works
What it means to represent the U.S. as a blind soccer player
Looking ahead to the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles
His musical interests and achievements
Why he recommends all blind and visually impaired individuals find opportunities to pursue in sports and recreation
Learn more about blind soccer at https://www.usaba.org/clubs-sports/blind-soccer/.
Follow Charles Catherine on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/charles.daddio/.

In Episode 114 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we meet Tyler Cashman, a college student who has collected several titles competing in blind golf and has also played beep baseball and other adaptive sports. During the conversation, Cashman discussed:
Where he was born and grew up
His visual impairment
His education and current studies at the University of Richmond
His athletic career and how he got into playing blind golf through the United States Blind Golf Association (USBGA)
How blind golf works
Memorable tournaments and moments in his golf career
How he got into playing beep baseball and tournaments he has competed in through the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA)
The fundraising work he and his family have done to help kids with disabilities
Learn more about the U.S. Blind Golf Association at http://blindgolf.org.
Learn more about beep baseball and the National Beep Baseball Association (NBBA) at http://nbba.org/.
Follow Tyler on Instagram at http://instagram.com/tycashman1114.

In Episode 113 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, our guest is Katy Boyd, founder of Twin Cities Blind Sailing (TCBS) in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota. During the interview, Boyd spoke about:
Her childhood and visual impairment
Her education and career history and goals
How she got introduced to adaptive sports for the blind, specifically blind sailing
What inspired her to start Twin Cities Blind Sailing (TCBS)
How blind sailing actually works and how it can be customized to the visually impaired sailor’s abilities and goals
The programs she offers to both youth and adults
How blind sailing has positively impacted many people she has met over the years
Her future plans with Twin Cities Blind Sailing and how she hopes to launch many blind sailing programs around the United States
How you can learn more about Twin Cities Blind Sailing
Check out http://twincitiesblindsailing.org/ to learn more about the TCBS organization and how to get involved.
Contact Katy Boyd at kboyd@twincitiesblindsailing.org.

In Episode 112 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we discuss audio description for live sporting events and other live events provided by MindsEye, a nonprofit in the St. Louis, MO area. Two members of the organization, Magan Harms (MindsEye arts and culture director) and Liam McCoy (MindsEye quality control specialist), join the discussion. They spoke about:
How Magan got involved in the blind community and audio description
How she prepares to describe a live event for blind and visually impaired patrons
Examples of verbiage she uses to describe sporting events and other live events
How her role compares to that of a play-by-play announcer for a sporting event
The technology involved in providing audio description of live events
Her experience as an audio describer for the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games
Liam’s background and visual impairment
How he got involved in attending MindsEye events and participating in its adaptive sports programs for the blind
His experience attending audio-described sporting events, musicals, and museum tours
The feedback he provides to Magan and the audio describers to help improve the experience for visually impaired patrons
Learn more about MindsEye and its adaptive sports and audio-described programs at https://mindseyeradio.org/.

In Episode 111 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we visit with Mike Royal, an accomplished adaptive athlete in running, water skiing, and other sports who resides in the Houston, TX area. Royal talked about:
Where he was born and grew up in the heartland of America
His visual impairment
His education, career, and family
How he was introduced to sports for the blind
His achievements as a runner and several major marathons he has run in
His career in adaptive water skiing and records he has attained
Other sports he has tried
His guide dog journey and how this inspired him to launch the Blind Canine Sports project, along with its mission
Contact info
Check out Mike’s website on Blind Canine Sports at http://blindcaninesports.com/.

In Episode 110 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we visit with Francesco Magisano, an accomplished endurance athlete and para-triathlete who also serves as the Director of the New York City Metro Region for Achilles International. During the interview, Magisano discussed:
Where he was born and grew up
His eye condition and vision loss journey
How he got connected to Achilles International through a random conversation
An overview of the Achilles International organization and its chapters around the world, along with his current role
His career as a runner and para-triathlete
Competing in the extremely challenging Ultraman Florida event
His take on guides and tethers for blind endurance athletes
His athletic goals
His advice to blind and visually impaired individuals on the benefits of participating in sports and recreation
Contact info for Achilles International
Learn more about Achilles International and find a local chapter near you at http://achillesinternational.org.