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Running Through It All: A Spotlight on William Greer

by Marissa Kuula The distance a runner has to complete in a marathon is 26.2 miles. For an ultramarathon, the distance can be any mileage exceeding that 26.2-mile mark. For most of the population, this feat would seem daunting. To William Greer, however, 26.2 and beyond are the numbers that drive him. Unlike many runners though, William is legally blind. Born with 20/20 vision, he sustained an open skull wound after a cycling accident when he was 17, leaving him visually impaired. As a child and young adult, William enjoyed recreational downhill skiing, running, cycling and was an active member… Read More

Kyle Coon Named USABA Program and SafeSport Coordinator

USABA is pleased to announce Kyle Coon as the organization’s Program and SafeSport Coordinator. In this position, he is responsible for planning, implementing and providing logistical management for various USABA events and programs. Since losing his sight at the age of 6 from retinoblastoma, a rare form of eye cancer, Coon has become a competitive triathlete, runner, downhill skier and rock climber. In 2006, he hiked the Ankaschocha Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru, and a year later summited Mt. Kilimanjaro at the age of 15. “I’m incredibly excited, humbled and honored to join the USABA team,” said Coon. “Having… Read More

Tom Parrigin, USABA Hall of Fame Member, Passes Away

Thomas “Tom” Parrigin, Jr., a member of the USABA Hall of Fame Class of 2013 and retired USA Goalball Men’s National Team coach, passed away on January 12 at the age of 83. His tenure as a USA coach spanned five Paralympics from 1992 to 2008. Coach Parrigin taught at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) from 1968 to 2001 and introduced the sport of goalball to the school in the 1980s. He founded the Florida Association of Blind Athletes in 1977, the Florida Youth Goalball Invitational Tournament in 1988, and the National High School Goalball… Read More

USABA Announces 2020 Hall of Fame Class

The United States Association of Blind Athletes is pleased to announce the members of the Class of 2020 who will be inducted into the USABA Hall of Fame. This year’s class is comprised of three athletes, one team, a coach and a special contributor, and were selected from a pool of nominations received during the open nominating period, and decided upon by the USABA Hall of Fame Selection Committee. The 2020 inductee list includes athletes Cody Colchado (powerlifting), Patti Egensteiner (athletics) and Tim Willis (distance running), the 2008 U.S. Women’s Paralympic Goalball Team, coach Angelo Montagnino and special contributor Dan… Read More

National Blind Running Unity Day Connects Runners Around the Nation

In late September, runners across the nation received the dreaded news that the 2020 California International Marathon was canceled due to health and safety guidelines associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. For USABA runners and guides, it also meant the cancellation of the 2020 USABA Marathon National Championships, which are held in conjunction with the California International Marathon. However, if 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we must adapt and persevere, and that’s just what USABA staff and volunteer marathon director Richard Hunter did. To fill the void left by the cancellation, USABA and Hunter organized the first-ever National Blind… Read More