Trio see value in inspiring others

The average person might respond to the idea of competing in a 70.3-mile triathlon with the same enthusiasm of facing jury duty. If ever confronted with the challenge, don't try to claim blindness as an excuse.

Among the 3,400 competitors in Sunday's inaugural ESi Ironman 70.3 half triathlon, a number of legally blind participants will take on the waterways and roadways of Augusta while tethered to guides or on tandem bicycles. Without those visual cues, it's likely you would never notice that they are blind.

Charlie Plaskon, Richard Hunter and Steve Baskis are three of the blind competitors. They each come to Augusta from three very different places -- and that's beyond simple geography. A 66-year-old retiree and grandfather from New York, a 42-year-old father of three from California and a 23-year-old disabled Iraq War veteran from Illinois all are here with the same purpose of pushing themselves and inspiring others.

"All three of us are in the same spot and can't see diddly," said Plaskon. "But we all have to make our way in the world. What we're trying to do here is hopefully inspire, educate and change the world's perception of visually impaired and blind people like us."

That's the mission statement for the C Different Foundation, which encourages visually impaired people around the world to lead active and healthy lifestyles. In Augusta, they are launching Operation Refocus with the explicit purpose of engaging and supporting blinded veterans in the sport of triathlon.

Baskis epitomizes that goal. He was serving with the 4th Infantry Division in Baghdad 16 months ago. On May 13, 2008, he was in a convoy returning to its operations base when a roadside bomb punched a hole through the side of his lead armored vehicle. The explosion killed his friend, Staff Sgt. Victor Cota, while shrapnel riddled Baskis' legs, arms and head.

He considers himself lucky that the worst the bomb took from him was his eyesight.

"I understood what I was doing and how dangerous it was and knew I could get hurt," Baskis said. "I haven't changed. I'm the same person. I just can't see. This is a long life challenge. Don't get me wrong, being blind sucks, but it's not impossible to live life blind."

Baskis resolved to continue living his life to his fullest for his friends who can't. Already physically fit when he was preparing for Special Operations training, Baskis set a goal to compete in his hometown Chicago Marathon in October and eventually qualify as a tandem cyclist for the Paralympics in London in 2012. Sunday he'll take part in the run and cycling portions of the triathlon -- his first competitive racing experience.

"A lot of people were telling me not to things now and I hate being told I can't do something," Baskis said. "If I can prove someone wrong, I kind of feel good. There's people who are biased. Just because I'm blind doesn't mean you can't do anything. You are limited in some things but before anybody tells you you can't do something, you should try."

That's what Plaskon of Long Island, N.Y., has been doing for 66 years. Born with a degenerative macular disease that ate away his central vision and most of his peripheral vision, he's never known anything different.

In 1949 when he was 6, Plaskon sat in a doctor's office overhearing the conversation with his father in the next room. The words scared him but didn't scar him.

"Mr. Plaskon, I advise you to never let your son leave the house," the doctor said. "The world is much too dangerous a place for Charlie."

His father abruptly took him home.

"That night he looks me straight in the face and said, 'Don't you ever listen to what that doctor just said,' " Plaskon said. "He puts his finger to my chest and said, 'Don't you ever use your vision as an excuse for not doing something with your life.' "

Plaskon never has, attending public school, graduating college, obtaining two master's degrees and working as a teacher and administrator until he retired at age 55. That's when he started running and quickly evolved into an Ironman.

Plaskon completed his fifth full Ironman triathlon in Louisville, Ky., three weeks ago. He was featured on the national TV broadcast of the world championship in Kona, Hawaii, which triggered his new mission as a motivational speaker.

Today he will speak to wounded veterans at the Augusta Rehabilitation Hospital, which he considers a privileged opportunity to give back to the servicemen of the country he was never able to serve for directly.

"I want people to make as much of their lives as they possibly can; to reach down inside them to whatever promises that they may act on," he said. "Don't focus on disability but on your ability."

That's what inspired Hunter, a 42-year-old from Folsom, Calif. He was discharged from the Marines when he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at age 23. In 2004, his eyesight deteriorated to the point that despite pockets of vision he was forced to give up his career as a school psychologist.

But with three kids ages 3 to 12, Hunter wanted to find another way to be a role model to them. So he took up running and convinced the California International Marathon to add a visually impaired division. In 2008 he ran his first marathon in 3 hours, 18 minutes, which qualified him for the Boston Marathon.

"My kids see me out there setting goals and accomplishing things and not just sitting there folding up in the face of adversity," Hunter said. "I want them to see me out there challenging myself. Frankly it could be a lot worse than me losing my vision."

With the encouragement of the C Different Foundation, Hunter turned his attention to training for triathlons. Augusta will be his first half Ironman.

"I am 100 percent confident that I will finish strong," said Hunter, who agreed to chair Operation Refocus because it specifically reaches out to wounded veterans at Augusta's blind rehab center. But he hopes all of his blind teammates can inspire and reeducate everyone about the potential of anyone with vision loss.

"Visually impaired kids are usually under-served in the area of physical fitness," he said. "It's a huge need."

The visually impaired men and women will be going to greats lengths on Sunday to open our eyes to their extraordinary abilities.

Reach Scott Michaux at (706) 823-3219 or scott.michaux@augustachronicle.com.