Something about Bill

I was born with a hereditary condition called Familial Exudative Vitreo-Retinopathy (FEVR). It is a progressive disease that stretches the retina, causing blood to pool at the back of the eye. The ultimate risk is permanent detachment of the retina, which results in total blindness.

As a child, I was completely oblivious to the long-term prognosis of this condition. Although I wore glasses at a young age, my life was not much different from that of my peers. I enjoyed school and participated in many extra-curricular activities. My greatest passion, however, was participating in sports. During my college years, I qualified for the 1980 Olympics as a competing decathlete. Unfortunately, my dream to compete was shattered because of that year’s Olympic boycott.

Although I never became an Olympic Champion, I felt like a champion when I won the heart of my wife, Lori Davis, 21 years ago. Neither Lori nor I fully understood what was in store for our future with respect to my vision. Through the early years of our relationship, we were two professionals hard at work building a life for our family. As a couple, we recognized the benefits of being passionate, positive, and excited about our dreams and goals. The source of my daily energy and mental strength, as a communications specialist, was competitive cycling, running, and playing golf. Life was great!

It was not until 1996 that the progressive nature of my eye condition intensified. My vision deteriorated to the point where my independence was in jeopardy, which was evident when I lost the privilege of driving a car. It became apparent that my life was going to be much different than I imagined.

After a surgical procedure in January of 1997 to stabilize my retina, my vision was 20/800. Today, my corrected vision is at 20/400-20/600, depending on various conditions (pressure, elevation, climate , etc.). Acuity of 20/400 is equivalent to approximately 5% of normal vision.

A life-changing event of this nature triggers many different emotions, one of which is grieving the loss of something very precious – something that many take for granted. Fortunately, I realized that although my loss of vision was not a choice, I did have the ability to choose my attitude: optimism or pessimism. My choice, hands down, was to optimistically move forward with my life.

Seven months after my operation, I registered at the Davidson Program for Independence (DPI) at the Foundation for the Junior Blind. For a period of six months, I lived on campus learning new skills to overcome my new challenges. I met some amazing individuals who not only inspired me, but also taught me one of my greatest lessons in life…you do not have to “see” to have a vision.

As a fully sighted athlete, I trained with the vision of winning. As a visually impaired individual and athlete, I live my life with the vision of winning. Since 1996, I have had the good fortune of meeting many physically challenged athletes. Six years ago, Power Bar representative, Terry Martin, introduced me to a 10-year-old young man named Rudy Garcia-Tolson. Rudy was no ordinary kid; he was born with Pterygium Syndrome. He had a clubfoot, webbed fingers on both hands, and a cleft lip and palate. By age five, he had already undergone 15 surgeries. By age 8, he had amassed 43 ribbons and 14 medals for swimming. Rudy was the poster child for the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), a nonprofit organization in San Diego. Rudy, about the same age as my son, not only became a very good friend but was also a source of inspiration. Rudy’s message and motto was very clear and heartfelt: "A Brave Heart is a Powerful Weapon.” Today, Rudy is a 2004 Paralympics Gold Medalist with a world record. He travels the country as a spokesperson for the Challenged Athletes Foundation and as a motivational speaker.

Thanks to Terry Martin and Rudy Garcia-Tolson, I am very proud to represent the CAF as a challenged athlete. The CAF has provided me and many other disabled athletes the necessary resources to train and compete in sports. Among my accomplishments, I have on two occasions cycled 578-miles from San Francisco to Los Angeles with the aid of a cycling pilot leading the way; I have competed in two National Championships for blind golfers with the aid of a coach/caddy; and I completed the 2004 Los Angeles Marathon with the aid of my wife, Lori.

I expect 2005 to be another great year. I will be competing in the Challenged Athletes 2005 Triathlon in San Diego, as well as competing in a few tournaments for blind golfers, and completing the 2005 LA Marathon.

It is the mission of the Challenged Athletes Foundation to provide “a quality of life without limitations.” It is my mission to bring awareness to the support and tremendous opportunities provided by the CAF, and to serve as an inspiration to others, especially my son, who also suffers from FEVR. In closing, I would like to leave you with this:

“Tell us we can’t, we’ll show you we can.

Tell us it’s impossible, we’ll show you what’s possible.

Provide us with the resources, and we’ll make you proud.”