August 28, 2024
Redefining Athletic Vision
In this LA Times feature, Paralympic medalist Lex Gillette offers insight into how visually impaired athletes compete with precision using the senses they rely on most: sound and touch. The story explores how these athletes train, race, and perform using spatial awareness, verbal cues, and tactile feedback instead of sight.
“I don’t need to see it to believe it,” Lex says. “If I can hear it and feel it, I can make it happen.”
Training with Trust
Lex, who competes in the T11 classification for totally blind athletes, sprints down the track guided only by the sound of his coach’s voice. He listens for rhythm and alignment, calibrating each step toward the takeoff board. The article highlights how Lex and his guide—like many Paralympic duos—rely on deep communication and repetition to refine their synchronization.
This bond of trust isn’t just athletic—it’s emotional, psychological, and built over years of shared effort.
When Senses Take the Lead
The feature also sheds light on other para-athletes, such as tandem cyclists who follow pilots and swimmers who use tappers to cue turns. In every case, touch and sound become performance tools, replacing vision with a heightened awareness of rhythm, movement, and intuition.
Sound as Strategy, Touch as Tactic
Lex's experience is part of a larger movement where accessibility and elite competition intersect. His training incorporates verbal cues, wind resistance, and surface feedback—each one helping him interpret the track and his body in motion.
“Everything I do starts with a sound,” Lex explains.
Beyond the Podium
Through Lex’s voice and the LA Times lens, this article honors the complex choreography behind every visually impaired athlete's performance. It reminds readers that what’s missing isn’t sight—it’s often acknowledgment of just how advanced these athletes are in their own right.
Read the full article on LATimes.com
Want to book Lex for a speaking engagement or media opportunity? Reach out to Lex.
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