Monday, July 23, 2012

Blind Olympiad

Got to spend an hour with Lex Gillette, who holds the record in long jump in the Paralympic trials while working out at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. And oh yeah, he's blind. The way it's done is he has a trainer/guide who stands at the line where you jump. Lex, after counting out his steps, sprints down the runway. The guide belts out(in a consistent tone) "lie", Lie" Lie" Lie"...... and as he gets closer and the voice gets louder, he(Lex) is able to determine exactly when to jump by the rising audible level. It's truly amazing to watch. You can read about it a bit more in the NY Times story.

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