Sight and sports

>> From kayaking to skiing, the visually impaired have plenty of opportunites for exercise

BIKE BUDDY SYSTEM:
Volunteer Claude Gariépy and Daniel Roy

by ERIK LEIJON

As lazy as some may be, we can, at the very least, always get sufficient physical activity if we so desire. There will always be a gym or park open somewhere, and the cost of a daily jog is non-existent. Even the Paralympics have proven that, for those with physical handicaps, the opportunity to play sports still exists. But for the visually impaired, worries about safety and accessibility can hamper one’s hopes of maintaining an active lifestyle. There are obstacles the visually impaired face in dealing with everyday life, and sports can only seem to magnify these difficulties.

“Often, when people develop a visual handicap, they think it’s the end, that they can’t play sports anymore,” says Tommy Théberge, president of ASAM (Association des sports pour aveugles de Montréal), a non-profit organization devoted to providing the visually impaired the chance to regularly participate in sports. “But it’s not true. They can still ski, skate or play golf—they just need a little push in the right direction.”

The organization pairs visually impaired individuals with volunteers who act as visual guides, making sports that require vision such as cycling possible. For cycling, the visual guide and impaired rider share a tandem cycle. Downhill skiing requires the guide to direct the blind skier vocally.

Seasonal options

Every weekend in the Montreal-Laval-Montérégie area, the ASAM has some type of event that’s open to anyone who wants to become a member. Whether it be kayaking and canoeing in the summer or downhill skiing and snowshoeing in the winter, the ASAM is always looking for new activities the visually impaired can do with the help of a guide. Every year there are around 125 to 140 participants (although typically only a dozen impaired athletes partake from week to week), and Théberge says there are around 10,000 visually impaired people in the area, many of whom have given up on the idea of frequently getting out and being active. This summer the organization even tried horseback riding, and there are plans to do more rowing next year.

Théberge himself was born with cataracts in both eyes and knows firsthand how difficult it can be to participate in sports in a world where hand-eye coordination is a much-needed ability. “It was hard, since I was always in an environment where everyone else could see,” he says. “The speed of sports can make it difficult, but I was always eager to challenge these obstacles. I love downhill skiing, but I can’t do it without my guide, otherwise it would be dangerous for myself and everyone around me.” He says he also plays hockey and golf, among many other sports.

Théberge has been the volunteer president of the ASAM for two years, after being a participant for four. When the foundation was created in 1983 by a group of visually handicapped, they wrote in the charter that the president must always be a visually handicapped person.

Looking for help

The ASAM is always looking to raise funds, but right now the greatest concern is finding sighted volunteers willing to act as guides. Naturally someone with sight is necessary to make a sport like tandem cycling or rowing possible, but a major difficulty the visually impaired face is getting from their homes to the places where these sports take place.

“If you want to take a bike ride in Boucherville, you can place your bike in your car and drive there with no problems. A visually handicapped person doesn’t have that luxury,” says Théberge. The ASAM covers the gas for driving and will pay for lift tickets or entrance passes if needed.

As necessary as it is for the visually impaired to get exercise, the social aspect of the tightly knit group is another reason why Théberge and others have become so close to the organization. “The main goal is that they get out and move, but it’s also important for them to meet others, especially those who live and experience the same problems they do.”

The ASAM works alongside their provincial cousins (called the ASAQ) who tailor their events more towards competitive sports and training for the Paralympics, while the Fondation des aveugles de Québec works specifically with under-18s. The ASAQ also plays Goalball, a handball-like sport designed specifically for the visually impaired, in which players throw a ball with bells attached to it into a net. Goalball is an official Paralympics sport that will be played at the Beijing Games in 2008.

For information on how to participate or volunteer, visit www.sportsaveugles.qc.ca or call 514-252-3178.