Canadian skier Brian McKeever, who suffers from Stargardt's disease, will be making history on the final day of these Winter Games in the 50-kilometre cross country race, becoming the first athlete ever to compete in both the Paralympics and the Olympics. It's quite an inspiring feat for the 30-year-old considering he was declared legally blind at the of age 21.
Canadian skier Brian McKeever is the first athlete ever to compete in both the Paralympics and the Olympics.
"I see the doughnut. I don't see the Timbits," McKeever jokes, referring to the bite-sized "doughnut holes" sold at a Canadian fast-food chain. He doesn't look at the world. He looks around it. When he speaks to you, he focuses on a spot above your head and finds your face on the edges of his sight.
That description is exactly how he'll find his way around the course a little over a week from today. Unlike the Paralympics, he will not be allowed to have a guide to help him through the tough spots of the course. Instead, he'll be relying on the blurs and shapes of his fellow competitors. Insane. Everyone should be rooting for this guy.
"If there's any message that I can put out there, it's just to keep having fun," McKeever said. "You can never lose sight of that sense of fun. And if you keep that in your heart, you can do great things, whether you're gunning for the Olympics, the Paralympics, or what-have-you. There don't have to be limitations put on fun."
