Paralympic Profile: Mark Lucas

USABA Executive Director Seeks to Develop Elite Blind Athletes

Jun 10, 2008

While countries and businesses build five-year plans, Mark Lucas-Executive Director of the United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA)-lays out 10.

He even has a name for what he’s after—a “BHAG” or “Big Hairy Audacious Goal.”

“We’re launching a 10-year plan to become the nation’s leading sports provider for people who are blind or visually impaired,” says Lucas, who’s led the USABA since 2001.

One of the BHAG’s early initiatives will be producing DVDs demonstrating how sports such as judo or running can accommodate the visually impaired. “We want parents to know how the adaptations work,” says Lucas. “We plan to aim these DVDs at parents’ groups, coaches, and instructors throughout the country.”

The first DVD will focus on judo, one of the two sports (the other is goalball) that the USABA selects for participation in the Paralympics.

Enlarging Blind Sports and Recreation

Since 1976, the USABA has sought to enlarge sports and recreation activities for the blind. In recent years it has focused on developing elite athletes for national competitions and the Paralympics.

“We try to find athletes at the grass roots level, and foster their development by creating camps and sports festivals,” Lucas says.

One such event is the USABA's 2008 National Sports Festival and Championships, which will be held Colorado College, from July 22-25.

The Festival includes clinics by Paralympics and USABA coaches showing young blind and visually impaired athletes how sports such as running, cycling, and goalball are adapted for participation or competition, and how to advocate for integration into local community-based sports programs.

“There’s a disconnect between the recreational and emerging athlete,” says Lucas. “We want to provide a young person with additional skills, should they want to compete, and we hope they go on to at least participate in sports recreationally.”

The festival culminates with blind and visually impaired athletes competing side by side with 8,000+ sighted athletes in 31 sports in the first State Games of the West, hosted by the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, from July 25-27.

USABA Reaches Out to Blind Veterans

The Festival also expects to draw 20-25 blind and visually impaired service members and veterans in a new program called Mission Vision. The program, co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Service, the Blinded Veterans Association, and the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, will help to meet the growing rehabilitation needs of military members who suffered service-related vision loss in Iraq or Afghanistan.

“We want to help military servicemen and women to learn techniques so they can go back home and train to either participate in sports or at least maintain a healthy life,” Lucas says.

USABA at a Glance

Description: Community-based nonprofit organization of the United States Olympic Committee that seeks to enhance the lives of blind and visually impaired people by providing opportunities for participation in sports and physical activity.

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