![The Eyes Free Sports Podcast: Ep. 11 - Talking MMA with Michelle Jorgensen (Part 2)]()
May 16, 2020
In Episode 11 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, hear Part 2 of our interview with Michelle Jorgensen, a blind MMA and judo competitor who has won 15 medals. Jorgensen discussed:
- What it was like competing in the 2020 IBSA Pan American Championships in judo in Montreal back in January
- Who she faced in the competition and the dramatic three-round match she had with this competitor from Uruguay
- The calm attitude she had before the competition and how it helped her
- The ultimate outcome of the competition
- The unique dynamics of an international competition with so many languages and cultures coming together in one place
- How blind and visually impaired athletes are classified in the Paralympics
- The accepting and welcoming nature of the MMA and judo communities
- Advice for blind and visually impaired individuals on what first step they can take to get involved in MMA or judo
In case you missed it, listen to Episode 10 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast to hear Part 1 of our interview with Michelle Jorgensen. You can follow her on Instagram at @embracedchaos93.
May 9, 2020
In Episode 10 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, we feature Part 1 of Greg Lindberg’s interview with mixed martial arts competitor Michelle Jorgensen. She discussed:
- Her eye condition
- The challenges of finding sports to play as a visually impaired child
- Her introduction to mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2017 after taking a self-defense class
- How she got into judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and Muay Thai kickboxing
- Unique strategies she uses as a blind MMA competitor
- How she started working with Kathy Hubble, a highly accomplished Canadian National Judo champion and coach
Listen to Episode 11 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast to hear Part 2 of our interview with Michelle Jorgensen. You can follow her on Instagram at @embracedchaos93.
April 26, 2020
In Episode 9 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, Dave White and Jaime Gonzalez of the Blind Stokers Club talk with host Greg Lindberg about:
- How the club started from a small event in 2005
- The roles of the sighted captain and blind stoker when riding together on a tandem bike
- The social benefits and enjoyment of tandem cycling
- The club’s annual Cycling For Sight event
- Other events the club has hosted
- Some unique virtual rides the club has done in the midst of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
- How interested riders can connect with a potential tandem partner, whether you are sighted or visually impaired, around the U.S.
Learn more about the Blind Stokers Club in San Diego, CA at www.blindstokersclub.org.
April 14, 2020
In Episode 8 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, Greg Lindberg talks to Pam McGonigle, a Paralympic gold medalist and currently the director of development at the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA). She discusses:
- - Her family and guide dog, Maida, who actually runs with her and was trained through the Running Guides Program at Guiding Eyes for the Blind
- Her role with USABA
- Competing in four Paralympic Games in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 and winning medals in track and field
- A variety of sports for the blind and visually impaired
- Specific events and opportunities offered by USABA
Learn more about the United States Association of Blind Athletes at www.usaba.org.
March 30, 2020
In Episode 7 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, certified personal trainer and aerobics instructor Leslie Spoone joined the conversation to talk about:
- Simple physical exercises blind and visually impaired individuals can do from home during the Coronavirus pandemic or at any other time
- How to do chair yoga
- Using a white cane to perform certain individual exercises or exercises with other individuals
- Strategies to make inaccessible exercise equipment more accessible to blind and visually impaired users
- The fact that more blind and visually impaired individuals are very active than many stereo types portray
Leslie welcomes questions and comments at lesliespoone@cfl.rr.com. As mentioned during the podcast episode, she will also be holding some free Zoom conference calls on chair yoga through the American Council of the Blind. More details on these calls can be found here.
March 8, 2020
In Episode 6 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, Greg Lindberg talks to Denzell Ferges, a goal ball player from Maryland. They discuss how he became visually impaired as a child, how he got into goal ball, the rules of the game, how the sport of goal ball has changed his life for the better, and his goals within the sport.
Learn more about the blind sport of goal ball on the USABA website here. Check out the USA Goal Ball Facebook group for an active community of goal ball enthusiasts.
February 23, 2020
In Episode 5 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, Greg Lindberg chats with Enrique Oliu, the longtime color commentator for the Tampa Bay Rays’ Spanish radio broadcasts. Oliu, who is totally blind, discusses:
- Why he immigrated from Nicaragua to Costa Rica and then to Florida
- How he lost his eyesight
- His experience attending the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind
- How he initially got into broadcasting
- How he joined the Rays’ Spanish broadcast team in their inaugural season of 1998
- How he prepares for each game broadcast
- The Rays’ 2008 run to the World Series
- How he actually does his job as a blind broadcaster
February 9, 2020
In Episode 4 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, Greg Lindberg chats with Kyle Coon, a blind triathlete who is only in his late 20s yet has already accomplished several world records. This episode is Part 2 of the interview in which Kyle speaks about:
- The adaptations he uses for running and swimming
- His experience at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO
- What he must accomplish to qualify for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan
- His advice to any blind or visually impaired person looking to get more physically active, including websites and Facebook groups for those interested in getting into running
In case you missed it, check out Episode 3 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast for Part 1 of our conversation with Kyle Coon.
Check out Kyle’s website at www.kylecoon.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
January 27, 2020
In Episode 3 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, Greg Lindberg chats with Kyle Coon, a blind triathlete who is only in his late 20s yet has already accomplished several world records. This episode is Part 1 of the interview in which Kyle speaks about:
- Losing his eyesight to eye cancer as a young boy
- What inspired him to get back into sports after going totally blind
- How he gained the title of being the first totally blind competitive rock climber
- His involvement with Erik Weihenmayer
- His experiences with a program now known as No Barriers USA
Stay tuned for Episode 4 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast for Part 2 of our conversation in which Kyle talks about his efforts to make it into the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Check out Kyle’s website at www.kylecoon.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
January 12, 2020
In Episode 2 of the Eyes Free Sports podcast, Greg Lindberg chats with Andrew Leibs about a number of sports for the blind and visually impaired. These include goal ball, beep baseball, tandem biking, golf, water sports, audio darts, and even winter sports. Leibs, a visually impaired athlete himself, is the author of the Encyclopedia of Sports and Recreation for People with Visual Impairments.
This is the most comprehensive guide ever written on this subject with a plethora of information and resources on how to get involved in blind sports, along with profiles and stories about the movers and shakers within the blind sports community.
The book is available on Amazon, the IAP Publishing website, and as a talking book through the National Library Service (NLS).
(Podcast theme music is produced by Andre Louis. Follow him on Twitter @FreakyFwoof.)
