Blind athlete outruns stereotypes, diminished expectations to find excellence
Fists clenched, lungs scorched, legs burning up in flames, yet still continuing faster, faster, faster! Track presents mental challenges for everyone involved, as it requires great discipline and determination. The voices within one’s mind are truly the biggest motivators to run a race despite the pressure and the doubt. While most keep their eyes on the prize and strive towards the finish line to push through a challenging event, sophomore Kymani Stephen is forced to fuel his spirits within his mind alone.
Stephen is a blind athlete, however, he does not let the absence of visual perception slow him down. He faces every obstacle head on and always continues to push forward.
“Navigating new environments is really the biggest challenge I face,” Stephen said.
While new environments leave most with an unsettling notion, Stephen deals with more discomfort as he cannot directly perceive his surroundings through sight and has to rely on his other senses. Ignorant mentalities only add fuel to this fire, as his coach Tammy Alger recognizes.
“He once told me that people talk to him really loud, and he was like ‘I’m not hearing impaired, I’m visually impaired’,” she said. “This is a pretty common misconception that Kymani has to deal with.”
Among misconceptions, others are simply unaware of their surroundings and fail to accommodate Stephen’s missing sense.
“Sometimes people start talking to me and I don’t recognize it unless they say my name,” he said.
These uninformed mentalities leave people under the impression that Stephen is unapproachable, a misconception that strays miles from the truth. This leads to isolation and alienation within the blind community, which could be eliminated if others took the time and courtesy to make adjustments to their communication habits.
Stephen uses peer’s doubts to his advantage, as it encourages him to soar above expectations and involve himself in the school community.
“A number of people see us as incapable people due to our disability,” he said. “That plays into what motivates me to pursue both sports and activism at the high school level.”
Stephen’s track career began in seventh grade, when a vision teacher he was working with saw an opportunity to get Stephen involved in extracurriculars with the necessary support.
“My vision teacher was actually the one who suggested it at first. We were originally just playing with this idea, but then we decided why not try it?” Stephen said.
With assistance and encouragement from coaches and teammates, Stephen is able to participate in track workouts like any other athlete. If there is something he isn’t able to do, the coaches are quick to modify and Stephen pours his heart into the workout nonetheless.
“Most of the time I am able to participate in all the same workouts as the other athletes,” he said. “Sometimes they modify it, but the coaches are really good at helping me make those changes.”
The work Stephen has been putting in practice after practice has most certainly paid off. He has seen great success in both the 100 meter and 200 meter race, and as the season progresses, his times continue to decline.
“He won both his 100 heats which is definitely awesome,” Alger said.
Smashing goals and dropping times are among Stephen’s favorite parts of the track season.
“Being able to PR was what I’m most proud of so far this season,” he said.
While Stephen enjoys the spring months spent sprinting and racing, he stays active with various other activities in the track off season.
“In addition to track, I’m in band, the Connected club, the Diversity Student board, and the Black Student Union board,” he said. “I also just recently started swimming and I also do this blind sport called Goalball.”
Regardless of his busy schedule and ever active engagement with clubs at West, Stephen does not find it difficult to stay on top of school even as weeknights become overwhelming.
“It’s only a couple hours out of the night so I navigate it just like any other student involved in sports,” he said. “My classes aren’t too hard, so I’m able to keep up.”
Above all else, what keeps Stephen going through the busy high school years is a positive outlook on life and the various aspects of it. He drowns out the negativity even as it amplifies and encloses around him, allowing him to take greater strides and see immense success.
“In a lot of places, including my own track team and class, I hear a lot of people with doubts and confusion,” he said. “They just don’t really know what they’re talking about, and being able to move away from that mentality is a really good motivation for me.”
The blind community is another inspiring factor for Stephen. He wants to prove to himself and others with sight impairments that the only thing holding them back is lack of positive mindset and proper motivation.
“Not all minorities are as confident to step out of the shadows,” he said. “My goal overall is to let others with disabilities know that the saying, ‘Anything is possible,’ is true.”
By Jazmine Blustin
Published April 29 2024
Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue VII