Episode 11: Bright Eyes

Anthony Butler, a native of the Bronx in New York City, lost his sight eight years ago. For many people who lose their ability to see in adulthood, the decline is inevitable and gradual. Often a degenerative disease will chip away at someone’s vision to the point that they become legally blind.

That’s not what happened to Anthony. One second, Anthony was hanging out with friends. The next second, his sight was gone.

But even through a series of struggles—learning to navigate a new world, getting kicked out his home—Anthony found ways to turn his life around. One of those ways: running. It was last spring when Anthony met Kate Dixon on a group run in Central Park with Achilles International. Neither was a great runner, but something clicked when they began running together that made them decide to get serious for their own, important reasons.

In this episode, we explore what happens when you lose something so essential. And what, perhaps, you might gain in its place.

Episode Credits:

Host: Rachel Swaby

Producers: Mervyn Degaños, Rachel Swaby

Editor: David Weinberg

Special thanks to Doug Pedersen for research help and Dr. Steve Lomber. Dr. Lomber is the Canada Research Chair in Brain Plasticity and Development at the University of Western Ontario.

Theme music: Danny Cocke

Human Race editor-in-chief: David Willey

Human Race is a proud part of Panoply.

Extra Credit:

Kate and Anthony are raising money for Achilles. If they top the donor list before the New York City Marathon on November 6, they’ll win a free trip to Disney World. If you feel so inclined, you can donate here.

This episode of Human Race is sponsored by Stamps.com. Buy and Print official U.S. Postage using your own computer and printer. Get a 4-week trial plus a $110 dollar bonus offer by going to Stamps.com and using the promo code "HUMAN."

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