by Sierra Romero Next month, 52 athletes who are blind or visually impaired -- from all across the United States -- will travel to Sacramento, Calif., to compete in the United States Association of Blind Athletes’ 2019 Marathon National Championships, in conjunction with the California International Marathon. Of those 52 athletes, nine of them are veterans. On this Veterans Day, we salute both their dedication to their country and to a healthy, active lifestyle. Steven Baskis, 33, is a multisport athlete from Montrose, Colo. While serving in Iraq in 2008, Baskis was injured by an improvised explosive device, causing him…
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By: Stephanie Ross, USABA Contributor After a devastating improvised explosive device (IED) detonation left U.S. Army Specialist Casimir “Cas” Werda blind in both eyes in 2007, the transition to being “completely in the dark” was a tough one. “I basically had to learn how to become this new person,” Werda said. “My entire life, I’ve always been really active and competitive. When I first lost my sight, I thought I wouldn’t be able to do the things I love and enjoy, which was very hard for me. It took a while to come out of it.” At the beginning of…
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