The Power of Parks to Change Lives

I can remember standing at the edge of the long jump runway in high school, completely blind with only the sound of my guide’s voice to lead me forward. To those watching, it looked impossible. To me it was an opportunity to reimagine what was possible. That leap set me on a path that would take me around the world as a five-time Paralympic medalist, keynote speaker, and advocate for vision-driven leadership.

Losing my sight as a child was life-altering, but it was not life-ending. Like so many young people, I was searching for a place where I belonged, a place where I could test my abilities and discover my strengths. For me that place was the track. That first leap into the sand pit wasn’t just about sport, it was about courage, community, and the belief that even if we can’t see every detail of the future, we can still move boldly toward it.

Over the years, I learned that my success has never been mine alone. My guide runner’s voice on the track is a reminder that we all rely on others to help us reach our destination. Parks and recreation professionals understand this truth better than most. You are guides for your communities, creating spaces where people can grow, belong, and discover what they’re capable of. The fields, gyms, pools, and parks you oversee may look like facilities, but to the people who walk through your doors, they’re often the starting line of a new journey

When I reflect on my own life, I know without a doubt that recreation was the launching pad for my own vision. It was the environment where I learned resilience, falling short in one attempt, then getting up and trying again. It was where I built courage, stepping into situations where others doubted me, yet proving to myself what could be done. And it was where I developed trust, leaning on teammates, coaches, and guides who were committed to my success. Those same lessons live inside every park program, every youth league, every community event you organize.

When I speak, I often reference my mantra, “No Need for Sight When You Have a Vision®”. Sight gives us information about what is right in front of us, but vision empowers us to see what can be built and what can be achieved, even when it doesn’t exist yet. That’s what you do as leaders in recreation. You bring vision into reality. You build playgrounds where children discover imagination, trails where families strengthen bonds, and programs where individuals of all ages and abilities gain confidence that they carry into every aspect of their lives.

As a professional speaker, I now have the privilege of traveling across the country and world, sharing my story with organizations that want to embrace change, strengthen resilience, and reimagine what’s possible for their teams. But no matter where I go, I never forget that it all started with community, with access, and with people who believed in providing spaces for growth. In many ways, the work that VRPA members do is not so different. You’re planting seeds of opportunity. You’re creating the environments that help people uncover their hidden talents, develop grit, and build the confidence to keep moving forward, even when challenges arise.

My hope is that as you continue your important work, you’ll take a moment to recognize the immense impact you have. You may not always see it right away, but somewhere in your community, there’s a child discovering their voice in a program that you sponsor, there’s a teenager learning resilience on a basketball court you maintain, or an adult finding healing in a park you protect. Those moments might look small, but to the people experiencing them, they are life changing.

I know this because I lived it. A young boy, blind but determined, standing at the edge of a long jump pit with only a vision of what could be. Today, that vision has carried me to Paralympic podiums, to speaking stages, and to communities across the world. And it all began in spaces like the ones that you create every single day.

So thank you, for being the guides, the builders, and the visionaries in your communities. Your work matters more than you know, and I am honored to share a piece of my story with you!

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