The Eyes Free Sports Podcast

In Episode 145 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we are joined by Joseph Fleeks, a.k.a. Security. The longtime beep baseball player talked about:

• His childhood
• Suddenly losing his eyesight as a teenager
• Transitioning from a mainstream high school to the Texas School for the Blind
• His current role with Blind Professionals Network

In Episode 144 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we chat with Chad Dillon, a beep baseball player and host of a beep baseball podcast. During the conversation, Dillon spoke about:

• His early years
• Discovering his visual impairment in an unexpected way
• His education and career
• Getting into beep baseball
• His experience playing...

In Episode 143 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we dive into birding for the blind. We meet Donna Posont, founder of Birding by Ear and Beyond in Michigan. During the discussion, she talked about: - Her early years - Her family and siblings who have also been blind - How she got interested in nature and birds - Launching the Birding by Ear and Beyond Program at the University of Michigan Dearborn - What the program d...

In Episode 142, we mix it up a bit by covering a new topic - accessible video games for the blind and visually impaired. We are joined by two guests - Carlos Vazquez, a.k.a. Rattlehead, and Aaron Espinoza, a.k.a. Blind All Day. During the episode, they covered:

• Their personal backgrounds
• Their visual impairments
• How they got into playing video games

In Episode 141 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we visit with Emma Papariella from the Pittsburgh, PA area. During the conversation, the multipart adaptive athlete spoke about: - How she was adopted out of China and moved to the U.S.

- Her visual impairment

- Her education

- How she was introduced to adaptive sports through the organization now known as Envision Blind Sports

In Episode 140 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we meet Ryan Lazaroe, head coach of the U.S. men’s national blind soccer team. During the interview, Lazaroe spoke about: - His personal and professional backgrounds - His involvement in soccer over the years - How he got involved in blind soccer and started coaching - Becoming assistant coach of the U.S. men’s national team, then head coach in 2024 - How blind soccer w...

In Episode 139 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we bring back Angel Parra. Originally on Episode 23 of the podcast back in 2020 and known as Damien at the time, Angel talked about: - Why he changed his name - His adaptive sports career - Some recent health challenges and how they have impacted his physical activity - Volunteering at Camp Abilities in Brockport, NY back in 2023 - Looking ahead to his future athletic p...

In Episode 138 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we meet three members of the Vibin’ Vixens, a brand new all-female beep baseball team. Ashley Melero, Faith Penn, and Dakota Hogwood joined the conversation to talk about:.

• Their visual impairments
• Their personal backgrounds
• How they got into beep baseball and the teams they’ve played with in the National ...

In Episode 137 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we welcome back members of the New York Bombers beep baseball team, formerly known as the Long Island Bombers. James Sciortino, Jim Hughes, and Alex Barrera join the conversation to talk about:

• How they got into beep baseball and their experience playing with the Bombers
• Why the team decided to rebrand itself from the Lo...

In Episode 136 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, our guest is Lillian Goodman, a visually impaired skier, paratriathlete, and all-around adaptive athlete. During the interview, Goodman talked about:

• Where she grew up and her visual impairment diagnosis as a child
• Her education and career working in finance
• How she discovered adaptive spor...

In Episode 135 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we visit with Tanner Gers. The longtime adaptive athlete discussed:  - His early years and family

- How he suddenly lost his eyesight in his early 20s

- His accomplished career playing beep baseball

- His career in track and field and competing in the 2012 Paralympic Games in London

- His professional work and curr...

In Episode 134 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, our guest is Tyson Gunter from Idaho. The longtime adaptive athlete in track and field discussed:

• His early years growing up in a small farm town
• Attending summer camps at the Idaho School for the Blind
• His education and career in sports nutrition
• How he got into track and field
• Competing in several Paralympic events, including the 2016 Paralympic Games
• His most proudest moments ...

In Episode 133 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we chat with Mark Ivy of the Oklahoma Lookouts beep baseball team. During the conversation, Mark discussed:

• His early years growing up in Oklahoma
• His visual impairment which has run in the family
• How he was introduced to beep baseball and other adaptive sports for the blind
• His career playing for the Oklahoma Lookouts of the National Beep Baseball Association and some memorable ...

In Episode 132 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we visit with Mindy Cook from Ohio. A silver-winning Paralympic medalist in goalball, Cook talked about:

• Her childhood and visual impairment
• Her education and professional career with the federal government
• How she discovered goalball and her early career competing on the court
• Becoming a member of Team USA and competing in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo
• What it was like represent...

In Episode 131 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we meet Darnell Booker. The founder of the Indy Thunder beep baseball club and a member of the NBBA Hall of Fame, Booker spoke about:

• His early years growing up in Indianapolis
• His visual impairment
• How he graduated from two high schools, including the Indiana School for the Blind
• How he learned about beep baseball and his playing career
• What inspired him to go into coaching beep...

In Episode 130 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we meet Rich Hunter. The longtime endurance athlete founded United in Stride, a website that helps connect blind and visually impaired runners and walkers with sighted guides. During the conversation, Hunter discussed:

• His childhood and education
• How vision loss impacted his military career
• His career working as a school psychologist
• How he got into adaptive sports for the blind
• ...

In Episode 129 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we visit with Dave Schleppenbach, the founder and CEO of Tactile Engineering. The company has developed a Braille tablet that is transforming how blind and visually impaired individuals consume visual information, including sporting events. During the interview, Schleppenbach talked about:

• His professional background
• How he got connected with the blind and visually impaired commu...

In Episode 128 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we have a returning guest, Ricky Castaneda (previously a guest on Episode 77). A member of the U.S. national blind soccer team, Ricky discussed the recent 2024 USA Blind Soccer International Cup. He spoke about:

• His background and various adaptive sports for the blind he has played
• How blind soccer works
• The recent 2024 USA Blind Soccer International Cup held in Chula Vista, CA
• H...

In Episode 127 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we feature a conversation with guests who are highly active in blind baseball. They are Kiana Glanton, co-captain of the U.S. blind baseball team, along with Ed Plumacher, president of the U.S. Blind Baseball Association (USBBA) and former guest on Episode 104 of Eyes Free Sports. During the conversation, they talked about:

• Their personal backgrounds and low vision journeys
• How ...