Exercise may be part of your daily routine.
But imagine doing it blind.
Everyday Hero Ann Medlar has been blind since an auto accident when she was in her 20s.
She’s gaining new insights from a sport she briefly enjoyed in college.
“You start out early morning and it just makes your day so joyful,” Medlar said.
This particular morning, the Halifax River is glassy, reflecting a beautiful sunrise.
“It becomes pretty natural. And you can hear the oars catch in the oarlock. And you know when it’s wrong by the sound. And you know when it’s correct by the fell of the oar catching the water,” Medlar explained.
There aren’t many outdoor fitness programs for the visually impaired, so just over a year ago, Medlar decided to see if she could start her own.
“I thought it was an impossibility and then when I called Halifax, my dream really came true,” she said.
Eight people are now being trained in the adaptive rowing program at the Halifax Rowing Association.
Medlar is fundraising, helping to obtain money for special seats and sculling oars.
“On the oar, there is a tactile indicator up by the handle on the sculling oars and that’s when, it’s when you can feel it that means you’re in the feathered position,” Medlar said.
A $5,000 grant from the Christopher Reeve Foundation will help fund making the old pier more accessible.
Money is not the only challenge.
There’s always a need for more volunteers to help move the expensive boats.
The program Medlar founded is now reaching out to those with other physical needs.
“We are in discussions right now with the Brooks Institute that just came into Daytona Beach at Halifax Medical Center. And so they’re interested using the rowing program as a rehab part of their program,” said Dennis Shelley, president of the Halifax Rowing Association.
Some adaptive rowers have already earned medals in competitive events.