From the Editor
Zachary Ledford is an undergraduate student studying Kinesiology at Utah State University. Outside of studying for exams, and completing assignments, he is very passionate about sports, which is why he is studying Kinesiology, the study of sports and exercise! In this blog post, he shares his experiences with this life style choice and encourages us all to find ways to stay active.
Since being super young, I’ve continued to participate in a variety of sports ranging from baseball to soccer and everything in between. My hope is to continue to share that love of being active with those around me, as I pursue a degree within the sports field.
From when I was about eight to ten years old, I was introduced to many other sports that were adaptive to my life, as my vision began to worsen. Growing up with low vision and hoping to continue sports was a difficult thought—until learning about the different adaptive sports there are in our world. Beep baseball was super fun, 5-a-side football or soccer felt more challenging but brought excitement. Then there are my current favorites, Goalball and running! Participating in Goalball throughout my high school career helped me stay active and perform well on an off the court. It gave me motivation to continue finding ways to be physically active while away from home at college, which is how I found a love for running. For me personally, sports and other physical activities help not only balance my life but also help me focus on my educational career and being successful in college courses, because we know those can be difficult.
Allow me to add that most any sport can be adaptive, and you can participate even in simple ways. The Sports and Recreation Division of the NFB is a great start. There may even be clubs in your local area you can participate in or learn more about as well. I am sure you’ll be able to discover a world where you can learn about being active as a blind person by even just walking around your neighborhood or school campus. There are certainly many ways we can make sports and physical activity adaptive for us, especially while having busy schedules as students. I don’t mean to say that you have to add sports to your life, but I hope you consider how being active can help you focus on your daily tasks. I know we can add even a small amount of activity to our day, and I believe it will help us feel better and happier.
I am excited to pursue a career that will help others find or strengthen their passion for sports as much as I continue to grow my own. I am incredibly grateful for what sports have brought into my life and look forward to the many future adventures and memories I continue to gain.