If you haven't heard about Peter Butkus, you might want to take the time to read more. Peter is a senior at Mendham High School in New Jersey, where he plays center for the school's varsity basketball team. Why is this so significant? Peter was born with an eye condition called Stargardt's disease, which is a juvenile form of macular degeneration. Stargardt's impairs his central vision, making it almost impossible to see faces, numbers on a basketball jersey, or the score board. Peter is legally blind, but he is not allowing that to stop him from succeeding in life on and off the court.
Peter joins a growing list of amazing athletes who happen to be legally blind. You may have read about Charlotte Brown, the nationally competitive pole vaulter from Texas, or past U.S. Olympian, Marla Runyan. I love seeing athletes with disabilities succeeding in mainstream sports because they open the public’s eyes to what is possible with vision loss, and also show people that blindness is a spectrum. Many legally blind individuals have some level of vision intact—blindness is not all or nothing.
For me, this story is even more special because I grew up in a neighboring town, and I played football against Mendham. I still keep in touch with my football coach, who tells the story of having to lead me off the field during late-season practices in the dark. Our high school was limited on lights for our practice fields, and I wasn't able to participate after a certain level of darkness. I was legally blind at 19 or 20 years of age from an eye condition different from Peter’s, but found ways to keep participating in sports.
As AFB CareerConnect's program manager, I know that there are a number of coaches out there who are blind or visually impaired. In fact, I coached basketball and softball at a school where I worked in New Jersey for two years. Through CareerConnect, people can connect with mentors in many fields who are blind or visually impaired. I look forward to connecting Peter to some current coaches with vision loss.
Take the time to watch the Fox News interview with Peter, his father John, and Peter's teammate and then visit USA Today to vote for the year's most inspirational high school athlete.
