A search for information on blind ice skaters found this article about deaf blind figure skater Lisa Ferris. “At one time, she would skate three to five days a week. She’d skate before she went to work. She took ballet and pilates classes and as many private lessons that her budget would allow. Her guide dog would come to the rink with her.” When Lisa became a mom raising twins, her career on the ice was curtailed, but the lessons learned continued. “It’s ok to do something even if it is going to take a ton of work, even if you will never be the best at it. It can help and motivate you in a lot of other ways and bring value to your life. This, I did not learn until adulthood and I think I missed many opportunities because of it.” Now Lisa writes a blog called “Skate Therapy,” and one of her posts is a review of a book written by the author who wrote the original article about Lisa. (Talk about a turn of events.) Lisa credits that article, which was posted on the internet, with helping her manage job interviews. “The figure skating article [which interviewers had read] allowed me to talk about what it is like to be a Deafblind skater, how people reacted to me, misconceptions I had to dispel, different ways I got around and worked with my disability, etc. Along with just the usual stuff people like to hear in interviews like working towards goals, working with others, being well-rounded, etc. (I think I got both jobs!). Read Lisa’s entire post here and don’t miss Adventures in Swimming Deaf Blind“. It’s a practical, warm, and lighthearted guide to how she manages herself, a guide dog, a cane and technology at the gym and pool.
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