From the track to the pool, these Paralympians show that losing sight does not mean losing ambition. Here are seven incredible athletes with vision loss who have competed at the Paralympic Games and redefined what’s possible.
Seven Inspiring Athletes with Vision Loss
When most people think about elite sport, vision is often taken for granted. But for athletes with vision loss, competing at the highest-level means adapting, and pushing boundaries, all while performing on the world’s biggest sporting stage.
1. Trischa Zorn (Swimming, USA)
Trischa Zorn is the most decorated Paralympian of all time, winning an extraordinary 55 medals, 41 of them gold. Blind from birth due to congenital glaucoma, she dominated Paralympic swimming for more than a decade.
2. Marla Runyan (Athletics, USA)
Marla Runyan lives with Stargardt disease, a condition that makes it hard to see details clearly, especially straight ahead. She is a six-time medallist in the Paralympics, and a two-time Olympian. Marla was the first legally blind athlete to compete in the Olympics.
3. Im Dong-Hyun (Archery, South Korea)
Im Dong-hyun is legally blind, with less than 10% vision. Despite this, he became one of the greatest archers in history, winning multiple Olympic medals and setting world records.
4. Libby Clegg (Athletics, Great Britain)
Born with cone dystrophy, a condition giving her only slight peripheral vision in her left eye, Libby Clegg competes with a guide runner tethered beside her. Together, they sprint in perfect synchronisation, relying on trust, communication and split-second timing. Libby has won multiple medals and also broke records in the 2016 paralympic games.
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5. David Brown (Athletics, USA)
David Brown is a visually impaired sprint runner from America. Known as one of the fastest blind sprinters in the world, he has competed at multiple Paralympic Games with his guide runner, Jerome Avery.
6. Isaac Jean-Paul (Athletics, USA)
Isaac Jean-Paul lives with optic nerve atrophy, a condition that affects how the eye sends visual information to the brain, reducing how clearly he can see. A high jumper and sprinter, he has represented the United States in the 2020 and 2024 Paralympics.
7. Steve Bate (Cycling, Great Britain)
Steve Bate has called retinitis pigmentosa a degenerative eye condition, which he describes as akin to "tunnel vision". Steve competed in multiple Paralympic games and has now announced his retirement, ending his 12-years on the Great Britain Cycling Team's Para-cycling performance programme.
Why This Matters Beyond the Paralympics
These athletes had access to diagnosis, support and specialist care. Millions of people around the world do not.
In low- and middle-income countries, avoidable vision loss can limit education, employment, independence, and the chance to participate fully in life.
Not everyone will compete at the Paralympics' or the Olympics'. But everyone deserves the chance to see clearly, learn, work and live independently.
By supporting Orbis, you help deliver eye care where it’s needed most, creating change that lasts for lifetimes.
