James Pittar is a champion open-water swimmer, conqueror of the English Channel and inductee of the prestigious International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
And he’s done it all completely blind.
At 16, James was diagnosed with a genetic disorder called Retinitis Pigmentosa, which causes degeneration of the retina. His vision rapidly decreased after his diagnosis, and by 21 he was legally blind and fully blind by his early 30s.
Yet despite this major setback, James was determined to succeed as an open-water swimmer. He devised a plan to aid his performance, using blows from a whistle to guide his direction.
A national inspiration, James became the first ever blind person to successfully cross the English Channel in 1998. Alongside the English Channel, he completed the “triple crown” of open-water swimming when he completed the Catalina Channel and Manhattan Island Swim.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
