2012 USABA Marathon National Championships

The 4th Annual USABA Marathon National Championships sponsored by VSP Vision Care took place on December 2 in Sacramento, California at the California International Marathon. We had 16 marathoners, 15 relay runners and 39 guides. Included in these numbers were participants from New Zealand, Hong Kong, Canada, 6 military Veterans, Paralympians and world/national championship holders! Even though it poured rain, a great thanks to our generous sponsors VSP Vision Care, Dr. Michael Schermer, Every Man Jack and Folsom Lake Lions Club...we cannot wait until next year! Below are the results for all the participants as well as links to various media coverage.…  Read More

USABA Announces New Sponsor Vanda Pharmaceuticals and 24Sleepwake.com

USABA is proud to announce our newest sponsor Vanda Pharmaceuticals and 24Sleepwake.com which are conducting an awareness campaign for a sleep-wake disorder commonly experienced by people who are blind.  Like them on Facebook by clicking here, follow them on Twitter by clicking here and check out their website here. If you or know someone who is totally blind and suffers from irregular sleep patterns, we want to hear from you.  Vanda Pharmaceuticals is conducting a study that is evaluating an investigational treatment.  The study does not require any overnight stay in a lab and participants are compensated for their time and travel expenses. For more information…  Read More

Vancouver, Washington Selected as 2013 USABA Goalball National Championship Tournament Site

March 6, 2012 Contact:  John Potts, USABA (719) 534-3805, jpotts@usaba.org (Colorado Springs, Colorado)  The United States Association of Blind Athletes is excited to announce the Northwest Association for Blind  Athletes (NWABA) and Vancouver, Washington are selected to host the 2013 USABA Goalball National Championship Tournament, June 20-23. “Over the past couple of years, NWABA and other organizations have worked hard to make the Pacific Northwest our hotbed for growth in goalball,” says USABA’s Goalball Coordinator, John Potts.  “We’ve seen new several goalball teams from California, Washington and Oregon compete in our national goalball program and we’re aware of several additional teams…  Read More

Athletes to Compete in 2011 California International Marathon

In partnership with the Sacramento Running Association, the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) is pleased to host the 3rd Annual USABA National Marathon Championship which will be held in conjunction with the California International Marathon (CIM) on December 4, 2011.  Joining the field of 18 visually impaired competitors this year are Aaron Scheidies (Seattle, WA) and Amy McDonaugh (Irmo, SC).  Aaron is a professional triathlete and is considered the fastest physically challenged triathlete in the world.  Amy is the fastest visually impaired American woman running competitively at the marathon distance and is expected to lead this year’s field…  Read More

Judo Coach Master Walter Dean Inducted into Masters Hall of Fame

Anaheim, CA – Master Walter Dean of Carlsbad, CA, formally from Stuart, FL, was recently inducted into the 2011 Masters Hall of Fame in a formal ceremony held at the Anaheim Convention Center. Dean was presented with the prestigious Platinum Life Time Achievement Award, one of the organization’s highest honors. Master Dean started his martial arts career over 55 years ago and holds a 9th degree black belt in Judo and a 6th degree black belt in Jujitsu. He is internationally recognized for his work coaching athletes for the Paralympics and other world events. Dean is considered an expert at teaching…  Read More