[nagdu] Blind Lexington athlete making history with dog

[Natalie]

Well, she is to be commended and congratulated.
Best,
Nat and Liam Joshua

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steven Johnson" <blinddog3 at charter.net>
To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>; "'Wisconsin Association of Guide Dog Users List'" 
<wagdu at nfbwis.org>
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 6:19 PM
Subject: [nagdu] Blind Lexington athlete making history with dog


> Sami Stoner, a junior runner at Lexington, competes with her guide dog,
> Chloe, at the Galion Cross Country Festival this fall. Stoner is believed 
> to
> be the first high school athlete in Ohio to run cross country with a guide
> dog. / Submitted photo
> Written by
> Rob McCurdy
> News Journal
>
>
> Filed Under
> News
> Local News
> WHAT IS STARGARDT DISEASE? PILOT DOGS
>
> Founded by Stanley Doran, Charles W. Medick and Everett R. Steece in 1950 
> in
> Columbus, it is a private, nonprofit organization that trains guide dogs 
> for
> the blind.
>
>
> Recipients must be at least a junior in high school and able to care for 
> the
> dog, plus document their medical history and need through an extensive
> interview and screening process.
>
>
> Puppies are raised by foster families to socialize them to deal with 
> people
> of all sorts, large crowds, traffic and other animals. After about a year,
> the dogs are returned to Pilot Dogs, where they undergo six months of
> specialized training to help the needs of the blind.
>
>
> Recipients must spend four weeks living at Pilot Dogs on West Town Street 
> in
> Columbus learning to work with their dog. From four students in 1950, 
> Pilot
> Dogs now pairs up to 150 students with dogs each year. Among the breeds 
> used
> in the program are golden retrievers, Doberman pinschers, German 
> shepherds,
> Labrador retrievers, standard poodles, boxers and vizslas.
>
>
> No government dollars support Pilot Dogs. Funding comes from membership
> drives, the Lions Club and donations. The program is free for the blind.
>
>
> For information, visit Sites.Google.com/site/ pilotdogs or call
> 614-221-6367.
>
>
> It is an inherited form of macular degeneration that starts in childhood 
> or
> teen years. It affects about one in every 10,000 children and leads to 
> legal
> blindness.
>
>
> It is a progressive loss of central vision, though peripheral vision is
> often retained. The disease was first reported in 1901 by German
> ophthalmologist Karl Stargardt.
>
>
> There is no cure, and very little that can be done to slow its 
> progression.
>
>
>
>
>
> Source: American Macular Degeneration Foundation
>
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> LEXINGTON -- Sami Stoner has yet to cross the finish line in first place,
> but she has won over fans while trying.
>
> In the process, she's become a champion for teens with challenges.
>
> Stoner, who is legally blind and a runner on the Lexington girls cross
> country team, is believed to be the first high school athlete in Ohio to
> compete with a guide dog.
>
> "How could anyone in cross country complain when you look at what she is
> doing? It's powerful stuff," Lexington head coach Denise Benson said.
>
> Yet, that powerful example almost wasn't allowed to happen.
>
> Historic precedent
> As with anything pioneering, Stoner's quest was initially met with
> resistance.
>
> "We had a hard time getting her approved through the OHSAA," Lexington
> assistant coach Anne Petrie said. "(Athletic Director) John Harris went
> above and beyond to get Sami a dispensation."
>
> In order for Stoner to compete in events sanctioned by the Ohio High 
> School
> Athletic Association, a waiver was needed. Harris made the phone calls to
> the organization's Columbus office and was denied.
>
> "Initially they thought they couldn't do anything like that because in 
> other
> sports it would be hard to compete with a Pilot Dog, as you could imagine 
> in
> a sport like soccer, for example," Harris said of the OHSAA's concern 
> about
> precedent.
>
> But he wasn't going to be denied. Harris continued to appeal to Dale 
> Gabor,
> the director of cross country and track and field for the OHSAA, each time
> hashing out ways to safely allow Stoner to run.
>
> "To be very honest and be what the OHSAA stands for, we want to 
> accommodate
> any kids with disabilities," Gabor said.
>
> When OHSAA commissioners told Gabor it was his call, it didn't take him 
> long
> to search his soul.
>
> "As I told John, she already has a handicap. She doesn't need another one,
> so let her run," Gabor said of the decision made in September. "We have to
> do what's best for kids, and we either stand with them or we don't."
>
> Gabor's waiver came with conditions. Stoner has to wait 20 seconds after 
> the
> start of the race before she can run. That's to assure the dog doesn't get
> spiked or inadvertently knock another runner over. Stoner can pass other
> runners, but she can't impede them with the dog. She is to be a 
> non-scoring
> competitor, and if finish chutes are deemed too small, she cannot cross 
> the
> finish line with the dog for the same reasons she can't start with the
> field.
>
> "We agreed full-heartedly," Harris said. "What's happened to her isn't 
> fair,
> but she's such a positive example for everyone, and it motivated me to get
> this done."
>
> Gabor, who has been around the sport for decades, believes Stoner is a
> trailblazer, possibly the first blind cross country runner to compete with 
> a
> guide dog. He thinks she exemplifies the purpose of interscholastic 
> sports,
> which is to broaden horizons and teach life lessons.
>
> "The example she sets for those kids is phenomenal," Gabor said.
>
> The funny thing is Stoner didn't set out to be a role model, just a 
> runner.
>
> "I don't run for time or place or anything. I run because I love it," she
> said.
>
> Running with blindness
> Like dozens of kids at Lexington, Stoner ran cross country in junior high,
> and she enjoyed the sport. However, in eighth grade, her vision began to
> worsen.
>
> "When she started having eye problems, I thought that part of her life was
> over," her father Keith Stoner said. "It took eight or nine months to get
> the diagnosis, and as you can imagine, the Internet is a wonderful thing 
> and
> a scary thing."
>
> Stoner and his wife, Lisa, were trying to figure out what the problem was
> and what kind of future lay ahead for their daughter. When they finally 
> got
> the diagnosis, it was a worst-case scenario.
>
> Sami had inherited Stargardt disease, a juvenile form of macular
> degeneration that robs children and teens of their central vision. She 
> would
> soon be legally blind, although she retains some of her peripheral vision.
>
> "I was devastated. You have hopes for your kids, and a lot of it has to do
> with the things you see. It was a tough time for all of us," her father
> said.
>
> Stoner's only question for doctors was whether she'd ever get to drive a
> car.
>
> "She was pretty down," Keith said of the answer she received. "She was 14 
> at
> the time. She's now 16 and a lot of her friends are getting licenses and
> it's hard. She has a lot of wonderful friends and they are so good about
> picking her up and including her."
>
> One thing Stoner could do is run.
>
> "When she ran in ninth grade, we wondered how she would do it," Benson 
> said.
>
> Stoner ran with a companion runner. Hannah Ticoras became her guide, 
> telling
> Stoner to watch for this root or that rut as they ran side-by-side.
>
> The two became so close, members of the team began referring to them as
> Hami, a good-natured combination of Hannah and Sami.
>
> But Ticoras graduated in 2010 and Stoner's eyesight continued to fade,
> leaving many to wonder if she had a future in running competitively.
>
> Enter Chloe
> In the uncertainty arose an opportunity.
>
> "Sami mentioned it to me as early as last spring," Keith Stoner said. "She
> had a man come up from Columbus to work with her and he recommended her 
> for
> a guide dog, and they're pretty restrictive about that."
>
> Founded in Columbus, Pilot Dogs has been training guide dogs for the blind
> since 1950. It's a private, nonprofit charity that requires a recipient to
> undergo an extensive screening process.
>
> One of Stoner's first questions was whether she could learn to run with 
> the
> dog.
>
> "There are individuals that do it and have run marathons. It's her dog, 
> but
> we caution against it," Pilot Dogs director Jay Gray said. "The concern is
> not every individual is capable of it. It is very rare."
>
> Stoner had to spend four weeks this summer living full-time at Pilot Dogs,
> learning how to use her guide dog, a golden retriever named Chloe.
> Fortunately, Stoner's and Chloe's trainer was an avid runner.
>
> "Her and Sami hit it off and they worked closely together," Keith Stoner
> said. "They didn't run enough because they had a lot to learn, but they 
> did
> run."
>
> Stoner needed to work her way up to run distance races, and so did her
> year-and-a-half old compatriot. Chloe ran up to a mile for a week, then up
> to two miles for a week-and-a-half, then the three miles for cross 
> country.
>
> "It took a while for Sami and the dog to get conditioned to run that far,"
> Harris said. "I had complete faith that Chloe could function in this. My
> concern was with Sami and her safety and well-being. If you see them
> compete, they are basically one runner, and it's hard not to get 
> emotional."
>
> Benson was ecstatic for Stoner.
>
> "I coached her for three years, and I could see how hard it was getting 
> for
> her (to see), so I was excited about the opportunity Chloe would give her 
> as
> an athlete," the head coach said. "I was counting down the days until they
> could get back home together."
>
> When they did return, practices could be trying for Stoner. The dog is
> trained to come to a stop at all curbs, which makes running in town a
> difficult process.
>
> There were other rules that had to be followed. Benson printed out a list 
> of
> do's and don'ts with the dog and gave them to the team and parents. Chief
> among the rules is no one is allowed to pet or address Chloe while the
> harness is on.
>
> "At first it was a little awkward, but now it's just a part of Sami and it
> is how it is," Benson said.
>
> Running with Chloe
> Running cross country for a sighted runner can be harrowing. The ground is
> uneven and any number of sticks, ruts, roots, stones and bumps can knock a
> runner out of a race with an injury.
>
> "It's scary," Stoner admitted. "You have to have a lot of trust, and good
> ankles help, too."
>
> It's one thing coaching a runner with two legs, but what about one with
> four?
>
> "We had to teach Chloe a certain gait," Petrie said. "If you watch Sami 
> and
> Chloe run together, you'll see Chloe almost trot. What's interesting is 
> Sami
> is guiding the dog, really. The dog is following Sami's commands. The dog 
> is
> not pacing Sami; Sami is pacing the dog."
>
> At times, Stoner looks as though she's running with her eyes closed, but
> she's really using what's left of her peripheral vision to see her next
> step. Meanwhile, Chloe looks straight ahead to make sure all is clear in
> front of the duo.
>
> "I'm just trying to stay focused to keep her focused," Stoner said. "I
> thought she would go toward the people cheering, but she barely looks to 
> her
> sides. She just keeps amazing me."
>
> Cross country races can be chaotic, with fans crossing the running path,
> people yelling and other dogs brought by spectators running about, but 
> Chloe
> just runs, and so does Stoner.
>
> "I think she's geared toward racing now, which is very cool," Petrie said.
>
> Cross country courses aren't always marked well, so it's important that 
> they
> get a trial walkthrough before a race.
>
> "She kind of gets a feel for how the course goes," Stoner said. "While 
> we're
> running, she leads me around roots and stuff, and when she turns, I can 
> feel
> it in the harness so I can just kind of follow her so she can find a clear
> spot.
>
> "It looks a lot harder than it really is."
>
> It looks uncomfortable for Stoner as she hangs onto the harness across the
> dog's back with her left hand and holds a leash with her right hand, so
> she's essentially running with little arm movement.
>
> "Anyone who thinks it's helping her needs to try to run with one arm while
> holding onto a dog. It's hard to run with a dog," Benson said.
>
> But Stoner has adapted.
>
> "In the last race her paw got scuffed up, so I didn't do the cool down 
> with
> her. I was running by myself, and I thought I was going to fall over. I 
> felt
> so off balance. It's just something you get used to," Stoner said.
>
> Last year while running with her companion runner, Stoner ran a 31:19 at
> Ontario. A year later with Chloe, that time dropped to 30:24 while giving
> away 20 seconds at the start. Stoner may have started last, but she didn't
> finish last, passing seven runners on the course at Marshall Park in late
> September.
>
> "It's a very good feeling," Stoner admitted through an aw-shucks smile.
>
> A champion
> Chloe has become not only an accepted member of the team, but of the 
> school.
>
> "She just sleeps through all her classes," Stoner joked. "I'm a little bit
> jealous, but it's all right."
>
> Harris said the dog goes unnoticed, lying by Sami's side until it's time 
> to
> switch classes. In the hallway when it's busy, Chloe acts as a wedge 
> between
> the crowd and Stoner to make sure no one inadvertently bumps into her.
>
> Stoner is enjoying the high school experience. Petrie and Benson, who 
> taught
> her science and math respectively in that trying year as an eighth-grader,
> marvel at her spirit.
>
> "She's just an incredibly brave young lady," Petrie said. "She gets great
> grades. I also coach her in Destination Imagination, a creative problem
> solving group. It's more of an academic team, and I've coached her for 
> four
> years in that. She is so creative. She writes songs. She acts. She's very
> modest and won't tell you that."
>
> In the early stages of the disease, teachers would make special copies for
> Stoner with enlarged high-contrasting print. Now she works exclusively off
> an iPad.
>
> "She does the same things as any student. She's just doing what she can to
> equalize the playing field," Benson said. "She's such a wonderful young
> lady, and she's not letting her disabilities dictate who she is."
>
> And that's been the case in cross country.
>
> "Each and every day, that's what my job is -- to coach," Benson said. "She
> doesn't want to be treated any less. She has goals for the race.
>
> "She is able to do this sport, and that's what is so great. Sami has
> ability. And I think she can get to 24 minutes."
>
> Stoner admits this is a learning year with Chloe.
>
> "We're just hoping to keep on racing and hopefully keep breaking our 
> times.
> We're just trying to do our best. Hopefully, next season we can just keep
> getting better," she said.
>
> Keith Stoner, who is a member of the Lexington school board, is grateful 
> to
> Benson and Petrie for all their work with his daughter and her dog. He
> appreciates Harris for his tenacity in getting her waiver and the OHSAA 
> and
> Gabor for granting it. Most of all, he's thankful for everyone's 
> acceptance
> of Sami and the school's understanding of her plight.
>
> "It's a great message," he said. "She's never going to be up front getting 
> a
> medal, but as far as my wife and I are concerned, she wins every race.
>
> "I'm thankful that puppy was brought into our lives."
>
> That puppy turned a teen-aged girl into a champion.
>
> rmccurdy at gannett.com
> 419-521-7241
>
> "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things 
> not
> seen." Hebrews 11
>
>
>
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