USABA National Marathon Championships 2015 - Sponsored by Non-24

The USABA National Marathon Championships, sponsored by Non-24, take part in conjunction with the California International Marathon on December 6, 2015.  Since the CIM adopted the Visually Impaired Division in 2007, participation of visually impaired and blind runners has steadily grown from 2 to nearly 50 participants.  Runners travel from across the United States and from other nations.  Participants include blinded veterans, Paralympic athletes, World Champions, and many novice runners just beginning their athletic careers.  Each athlete has a compelling and unique story of their own, and together are able to inspire, educate and change the public’s perception of vision loss.

I am proud to introduce you to the 2015 visually impaired and blind field of runners taking part in the 2015 California International Marathon.

Balcom, Donald (Veteran)

• Hometown: Hollywood, MD

• Age: 42

• B2, Retinitis Pigmentosa

• Proudest Athletic Accomplishments:

  • 2013 Marine Corps Marathon – 196th

  • 2015 Boston Marathon – 1670th

  • 2015 Boston Marathon Blind/Visually-Impaired Division Champion

• Media: https://twitter.com/DonaldBalcom

Baskis, Steve (Veteran)

• Hometown:  Normal, IL

• Age:  29

• B1, IED May 13, 2008

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Mountaineering

  • Nordic Skiing

  • White water kayaking

• Media links: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2014/02/blind-army-vet-and-athlete-conquering-goals-to-inspire/

Bazgan, Corvin

• Hometown::  San Carlos, CA

• Age:  41

• B3, Ushers Syndrome Type III

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Finished the Santa Cruz Triathlon in 2:40:49

  • Completed 10 Alcatraz swims and aquathlons

  • Completed six Victoria, CIM, and Boston Marathons since October 2013

  • Summited Mt Whitney in 2013

• Media Links:

  • http://globalnews.ca/news/1611373/visually-impaired-runner-races-with-guide-in-victoria-marathon/

  • http://juliablanton.com/articles/one-way-ticket-to-alcatraz/

 Berlin, Dan

• Hometown:  Fort Collins, CO

• Age:  45

• B2, Cone Rod Dystrophy

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Running Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon Oct 2014

  • Completing my first half marathon Sept 2009

  • Attempting to complete the entire Classic Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in one day

• Media link:

  • http://www.cbs.com/shows/cbs_evening_news/video/WTEsPKlk2FLPaDv31MUd0YFzVIwtdDkC/blind-man-conquers-the-grand-canyon/  (Oct 2015)

Bigoney, Dave (Veteran)

• Hometown: Tallahassee, Florida

• Age: 41

• B1, Gunshot wound to head causing optic nerve damage

• Proudest athletic accomplishment:

  • Silver Medal in 2001 ITU World Championships in Edmonton, Canada

  • First totally Blind individual to complete an Ironman at the 2005 CDA Ironman

• Media link: http://youtu.be/PVUp0u55rTQ

Cheshire, Shawn (Veteran)

• Hometown: Boston, MA

• Age: 40

• B1, Traumatic Brain Injury

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Race Tandem for US Para-cycling Team last 3 years

  • Striving to make the US Para Nordic/Biathlon ski team

  • Represented the United States Army at the Inaugural Invictus Games in London in 2014

• Media Link:  shawncheshire.org

Davis, Chaz

• Hometown:  Grafton, MA

• Age:  22

• B2, Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy LHON

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • 2015 Para Pan Am Games Silver medalist 5000m T12

  • 2015 National Champion Gold medalist Paralympics  5000m

  • Massachusetts State Divisional Champion High School 2 mile

• Media links:  https://youtu.be/t1Uuf5scyV8

Davis, Katie

• Hometown:  Sacramento, CA

• Age:  29

• B2, Aniridia

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Competed in Paralympics 2012 judo

  • VI judo world team 2014

Dever, Sarah

• Hometown:  Berkeley, CA

• Age:  29

• B2, Retinitis Pigmentosa (Ushers Syndrome)

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Toughing out the 2015 Boston Marathon through wind, cold and rain

• Media links:  https://instagram.com/loverunpink/

Dickerson, Amelia

• Hometown:  Boulder, CO

• Age:  32

• B1, Facial Trauma from Car Accident

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • 8th place in the 2014 Mt. Evans Ascent

  • National record B1 track 5k

Dixon, Amy

• Hometown: Greenwich,  CT

• Age: 40

• B3, Uveitis and Glaucoma

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Ranked #5 in the world for female ITU athletes

  • 2015: Won gold at ITU Edmonton

  • 2015: Won Silver at the CAMTRI Continental ITU Paratriathlon Championships

• Media link: www.amydixonusa.com

Duenas, Marcos

• Hometown:  Los Angeles, CA

• Age:  48

• B3, Detached Retina

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Been doing CrossFit for three years

  • Completing first marathon (2015 LA Marathon)

  • Completed first Olympic Distance Triathlon August, 2015

Gomez, Ursula

• Hometown:  Danville, CA

• Age:  44

• B3, Retinitis Pigmentosa

Greenhaw, Stefanie

• Hometown:  Rocklin, CA

• Age:  43

• B3, Optic Atrophy

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • 2014 CIM Marathon finisher

  • 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon finisher

  • 2013 Disneyland Dumbo Double Dare finisher

Greer, William

• Hometown:  Austin, TX

• Age:  46

• B3, Open skull wound that damaged the part of the brain that interprets vision.

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Running my first marathon, the Austin Marathon  in 2010

  • Finishing the 2013 Boston Marathon 5 minutes before the first bombs went off

  • Hitting my PR of 3:47 at the 2015 Austin Marathon  7 months after recovering

• Media links:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6281xnSUSEU

Han, David

• Hometown:  Santa Clara, CA

• Age:  20

• B1, Leber Congenital Amaurosis

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Completed the third leg in the 2014 CIM relay

  • Completed half marathon at the Go Green Saint Patrick’s Day Run

Hodges, Jessica

• Hometown: Kalamazoo, Michigan

• Age:  32

• B1, Retinal Blastoma (cancer of retinas).

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Silver medalist at the 2000 Paralympic Games for swimming and competed in three Games total.

  • Held national records in swimming

  • Ran first half-marathon after three months of training, switching from sprint distance swimming to running, 7 years after retiring from swimming

Hoffman, David

• Hometown: Cupertino, CA

• Age: 50

• B2, Retinal Blastoma and Stroke

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Ran my first half marathon in August, 2015 (Vancouver BC)

Hornik, Timothy (Veteran)

• Hometown: Lawrence, Kansas

• Age: 35

• B2, Sniper shot to the head, Iraq, November 11, 2004

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • My hope is to increase my physical health through fitness and exercise to a point similar

• Media Link: http://www.kumc.edu/news-listing-page/therapeutic-science-doctoral-student-tim-horniks-disability-doesnt-slow-him-down.html

Hunter, Richard (Veteran)

• Hometown:  Folsom, CA

• Age:  48

• B2, Retinitis Pigmentosa

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Completing 2011 Ironman Florida in 11:55.

  • Completing the 2013 CIM, 2014 Boston Marathon and 2014 Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim, all within 11-months of breaking my neck in a tandem bicycle vs. car accident.

  • Completing the 2013 American River 50 Endurance Run

• Media link: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/k-9-german-sherpard-helps-blind-athlete-run-marathons/

Kelley, Amy

• Hometown:  Columbia, SC

• Age:  38

• B3, Complications associated with Arteriovenous Malformation

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Personal marathon record at the CIM: 2:49

  • Placed in the elite division in Philly Marathon

  • 1^st place in both the Flying Pig and Columbia marathons

• Media links:

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMpz8cFO4_M

Kinoshita, Michael

• Hometown:  Folsom, CA

• Age:  20

• B3, Achromatopsia

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • 6 Gold medals US Paralympic Nationals: 2013-2015

  • 3 Gold medals IBSA World Youth Championships – 2011

  • 7 time U.S. Paralympic High School All-American – Track & Field

Kuhn, David

• Hometown: DeKalb, IL

• Age: 63

• B1, Accident with a drunk driver

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Have completed over 40 marathons

  • Completed an ultra-marathon (50k)

  • Completed three 70.3 Ironman triathlons in the past two years

Loomer, Jessica

• Hometown:  Phoenix, AZ

• Age: 29

• B2, Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • First Full Marathon

• Media link: www.blindgirlscanrockheels.com

Marin, Ed

• Hometown:  Fair Oaks, CA

• Age:  55

• B4, Retinitis Pigmentosa

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Mountain climbing: Mount Lassen, Mount Rose, Freel and Pyramid Peak

Masuo, Hiromi

• Home Town: Tokyo, Japan

• Age: 30’s

• B2, Uveoretinitis

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Completed 2013 New York City Marathon as the 1st full marathon

  • Completed 2014 NYC Marathon and will participate 2015 NYC Marathon

  • Participated in 2013 Kyrgyzstan International Marathon(10K)

Nagasawa, Nobuko

• Home Town: Chiba Prefecture, Japan

• Age: 57

• B1, Corneal Opacity Glaucoma

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Completed 2010 New York City Marathon (First full marathon)

  • Completed 2011 Tokyo marathon 10K

Nguyen, Newton

• Hometown:  Berkeley CA

• Age:  21

• B1, Retinitis Pigmentosa

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Member of Cal Berkeley Triathlon Team

  • Was in the first paratriathlete wave ever at USA Triathlon Collegiate Club Nationals

  • Raced Stanford Treeathlon and San Diego Tritenman

• Media links:  http://www.ktvu.com

Oliver, Matthew

• Hometown: San Diego, CA

• Age: 26

• B2, LHON

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • 2013 CIM 3:08:52 PR

  • 2015 The Woodlands Half Marathon 1:26:55 PR

  • 2015 Boston Marathon

• Media link:  http://www.cbs8.com/story/29792747/blind-marathon-runner-follows-his-guide-his-heart?autoStart=true&topVide

Ortiz, Angel

• Hometown:  Elk Grove, CA

• Age:  45

• B3, Retinitis Pigmentosa

• Proudest athletic accomplishment:

  Running a CIM relay leg in 2014

Otawa, Kenta (Veteran)

• Hometown:  San Diego, CA

• Age:  23

• B2, Genetic

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Finished CIM 2013 in 4:25

  • Finished Boston marathon                 2014 4:32

  • Finished 16 mile hike with a pack

Panek, Thomas

• Hometown:  South Salem, NY

• Age:  45

• B2, Retinitis Pigmentosa

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Being guided by Scott Jurek for the 2015 Boston Marathon (PR) and along a section of the NY Appalachian Trail.

  • Completing a double marathon at age 23

  • Completing Chicago Marathon 4 times

• Media links:  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/k-9-german-sherpard-helps-blind-athlete-run-marathons/

Pierce, Randy

• Hometown: Nashua, NH

• Age: 49

• B1, Mytochondrial Disease/Optic Neuritis

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • B1 National Marathon Champion CIM 2014

  • 3x Tough Mudder Completion – Oberto Hero of Summer

  • Hiking a Single Winter Season 48 in the white Mountains of NH

• Medial link: http://2020visionquest.org/in-the-media.html

Romero, Jason

• Hometown:  Denver, CO

• Age:  45

• B3, Retinitis Pigmentosa

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Have completed 10 runs of 100 miles or more including, Badwater, Leadville and a 185 mile trans-Puerto Rico crossing

  • 2014 USABA Marathon Champion

  • 2015 4th place IPC World Marathon Championships

• Media links:  WWW.RELENTLESSROMERO.COM

Scheidies, Aaron

• Hometown:  Seattle, WA

• Age:  33

• B2, Juvenile Macular Degeneration (Stargardts)

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

• • 3X CIM Blind/VI National Marathon Champion (2011-2013)

  • 10X Paratriathlon World Champion

  • 2011 ESPN ESPY Finalist for Best Male Athlete with a Disability

• Media link: www.cdifferentwithaaron.com

Schmidt, Ryan

• Hometown:  Folsom, CA

• Age:  16

• B3, Brain Hemorrhage during birth near visual cortex

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • 3rd year on school cross country team

  • Enjoys running annual Thanksgiving Day “Turkey Trot” 10K in Folsom

• Media links:  http://www.athletic.net/CrossCountry/Athlete.aspx?AID=7261973#tT1

Shigeta, Masatoshi

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• Home Town: Tokyo, Japan

• Age: 63

• B1, Retinitis Pigmentosa

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Arakawa City Marathon (full marathon 3 hrs 21 min.)

  • Lake Saloma Ultramarathon (100K) 10 hrs 25 min.

  • 2014 New York City Marathon sub 4

Simpson, Louise Charlotte

• Hometown:  Southend-On-Sea, Essex, United Kingdom

• Age:  31

• B1, Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Goalball Paralympic Goalball (Sydney Paralympic Games 2000 / London Paralympic Game 2012), GOLD (2009 European Championships, Munich, Germany)

• Media link:  http://www.paralympics.org.uk/gb/athletes/louise-simpson

Somsan, Michael (Veteran)

• Hometown:  Gilbert, AZ

• Age:  44

• B1, Gunshot wound to the head

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Ironman finisher 2014

  • Arizona Road cycling championships, runner up for tandem class

  • Phoenix Marathon finisher 2015

Stamper, Dale (Veteran)

• Hometown:  Hayden, ID

• Age:  67

• B1, Land Mine Explosion in Vietnam

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Participated in 3 Bloom Day Runs in Spokane, WA (PR: 1:52)

Stansberry, Lili

• Hometown: Kent, WA

• Age: 41

• B3, Detached Retina

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Completed 2 half-marathons, several 5k and 10k races

• Media: facebook.com/lili.ahsiustansberry

Takahashi, Yuichi

• Hometown: Tokyo, Japan

• Age: 50

• B1, Retinitis Pigmentosa

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Gold medalist, Athena Paralympic Men Marathon T11

  • 3 time Paralympian (Athena – 2:44:24 gold, Beijing – 2:43:38 16th, London – 2:42:09 7th)

  • Completed ultramarathon(100K) in 10:16:39

Vasquez, Maribel

• Hometown:  San Diego, CA

• Age:  26

• B3, Cataracts

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Completing first marathon CIM 2014

  • Breaking 30 minutes in a 5K

Walker, Steve (Veteran)

• Hometown:  Redondo Beach, CA

• Age: 33

• B2, Retinitis Pigmentosa

• Proudest athletic accmplishments:

  • Ironman Cozumel finisher

  • Ironman Kona finisher

• Media: http://espn.go.com/sports/endurance/story/_/id/10683105/endurance-sports-blindness-stopping-former-marine-steve-walker

Wallace, Daniel (Veteran)

• Hometown, Union, MO

• Age: 52

• B2, Wounded by a car bomb in Iraq 2003

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • 20 year Army veteran as a Ranger

  • Completed several Tough Mudders.

• Website: http://www.bva.org

Walton, Branden

• Hometown: Windsor, CA

• Age: 17

• B3, Unknown cause of vision loss

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Competed in the 2015 US Paralympic National Championships – 2 Silvers and 1 Gold

  • Set 5 national Youth Records at 2015 NJDC

  • Named one 2015 US Paralympic Track and Field High School All Americans

• Media link: http://www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics/Features/2015/September/03/2015-US-Paralympics-Track-and-Field-High-School-All-Americans-named

Winter, Mary

• Hometown:  St Petersburg, FL

• Age:  54

• B1, Surgical Complications

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Old School Trail Run, Philadelphia, PA 2015

  • CIM Relay participant 2015

  • Kansas City, MO Trolley Run 2015

• Media links:  http://www.kansascity.com/sports/other-sports/article19641366.html

Wood, Steve

• Hometown: St. Clair Shores, MI

• Age: 49

• B3, Retinitis Pigmentosa

• Proudest athletic accomplishments:

  • Completing first marathon which was a repeating 5K loop.

  • Finishing and experiencing the Boston Marathon the first time.

IBSA Visual Classifications

Class B1

No light perception in either eye up to light perception, but inability to recognize the shape of a hand at any distance or in any direction.

Class B2

From ability to recognize the shape of a hand up to visual acuity of 20/600 and/or a visual field of less than 5 degrees in the best eye with the best practical eye correction.

Class B3

From visual acuity above 20/600 and up to visual acuity of 20/200 and/or a visual field of less than 20 degrees and more than 5 degrees in the best eye with the best practical eye correction.

Donate

Run for a Reason page: https://usaba.myetap.org/fundraiser/runforareason/

Richard’s Direct Link: https://usaba.myetap.org/fundraiser/runforareason/individual.do?participationRef=849.0.255528971

Sponsors

USABA would like to thank our 2015 major sponsors. Without their support, this event would not be possible.

Title Sponsor

Non-24

Platinum: ($10,000 and above)

The Gibney Family Foundation

Healthy Vision Association

Gold: ($5,000 – $9,999)

Delta Gamma Fraternity

Department of Veterans Affairs – Mission Redefined

Paralympic Sport Sacramento

Sacramento Running Association

Society for the Blind

Silver: ($2,500 – $4,999)

Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Andrew O’Driscoll & Maureen Kelly

Michael J. Schermer, M.D.

Bronze: ($1,000 – $2,499)

Blinded Veterans Association’s Operation Peer Support

Greg Bricca

Rocky & Kim Camp

Guiding Eyes for the Blind

Junior Blind of America

Dan Streetman

UC Davis Delta Chi of Delta Gamma

Steve Wood

Friend: ($500)

Thomas Kidwell, MD

Eric Waterman