Connected
Insight

[Athletes doing calisthenics then putting blindfolds on and running with guide]

Lex: The interesting thing is that when people see that interaction between guide and athlete, you notice that the athlete has the blindfold on, and

[Group with blindfolds]

for those who experienced this program, I want them to understand that sometimes you have to take away your sight in order to, in order to see that much more.

[Lex and guide running on track]

On your mark, set, go!

Jerome Avery: Our focus with this activity is just to enhance and magnify those senses that we all possess.  The importance of trust, communication, teamwork, leadership, adapting, and of course, motivation.

Chris Garcia: My experience today in doing this event was amazing. It actually made me realize, one that I have trust issues and I like, I'm reserved about letting others give me that umph,

[Chris running with guide]

giving me that guide and ultimately it helped me understand what I need to do better to communicate with either my team or my personal life or my spouse. It really helps to get you to understand what it really takes to work with somebody else, whether that's your team or anybody that's close to you. It is a fantastic opportunity and I loved it.

Cristianah Comaduran: I would recommend this experience to anybody, especially anybody in a professional setting. If you are a team sport, if you're a soccer player,

[Group pose for picture]

or if you're somebody who's entering a new job, anything that you wanna jump into.

[Group running on track with partners]

I think this is literally the perfect scenario for that.

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Athletes who are blind and compete in the Paralympic Games are required to wear an eye mask to ensure there is a level playing field amongst competitors. Totally blind athletes who compete in running events at the Paralympic games are tethered by hand to a sighted guide. Through this process, athlete and guide navigate safely and successfully from the start line to the finish.

In this experiential learning exercise, Connected Insight, participants mimic the experience that an athlete/guide experience in the Paralympic Games.

  1. Divide participants into pairs. One person will act as the athlete, and the other person will act as the guide.
  2. Each pair will have an opportunity to practice navigating from the start line to the finish line (eight people/four tandems can safely participate at one time). There is no requirement for how fast you maneuver. Do what feels comfortable (e.g. walk, jog, or run). After all tandems have safely navigated to the finish line, we will take 5-10 minutes to debrief with the group as a whole.
  3. After the debrief session, tandems will remain the same but now the previously blindfolded athlete will become the guide, and the guide will become the athlete. Athlete and guide will navigate from the start line to the finish line. Once all tandems have reached the finish, we will debrief for 5-10 minutes.
  4. After the debrief, we will have a friendly competition between the tandems. Each pair will have the choice in deciding who will be athlete and guide for the competition round. Once the tandems have been determined, we will have the competition, the tandem that crosses the finish line first in each heat will be crowned the winner. Bragging rights is the prize!

Outcomes:

Trust is a major factor within today’s workplace, and when we navigate through “darkness,” it can create uneasiness within the team which drives down productivity. Through Connected Insight, the athlete/guide pair will learn trust and confidence through the curated exercises. This activity also challenges the pair to work collaboratively to achieve success.  Additionally, participants will exercise their communication, emotional intelligence, competence, communication, and strategy and planning skills.

Get Connected

Contact Lex today to find out how his Connected Insight experiential learning program can improve communication, trust and collaboration on your team.  Whether you gather onsite at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center or he brings this program to you, this unique event is guaranteed to be a once in a lifetime experience.

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