“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

Gandhi

The wind was cool that day but not cold. The bike & road felt good beneath me. Smooth & fast, like the planes I liked to fly. My thoughts flashed back to my beloved Pitts Special S2B and aerobatic training. I felt exhilarated thinking of my future with the Marines or Navy after college. I wondered what type of attack aircraft I would be flying…an F18? Maybe a Stealth or the new Joint Strike Fighter? I had it all planned out. I was going to be a shooting star.

They tell me I was in a coma for a month. I never knew what hit me. They told me later it was a drunk driver. The physicians said they didn’t know if I’d live, be a vegetable or be blind. I lived. I wasn’t a vegetable. I was blind. I’d never fly again. I’d never ride my bike again. I’d never be a Marine or a Navy fighter pilot. I tried to focus on the present but I was 95% blind & all I could focus on was about the size of a 3x5 card in front of me…the doctors said my tunnel vision was as good as it was going to get. My future didn’t look so bright all of a sudden. The surgeons operated on my feet & ankles leaving me with a permanent limp. They weren’t sure if I’d walk again. In the blink of an eye everything had changed. I traded in my bike & planes for a white cane at the age of 29.

Recovering at home, I was flying through the TV channels & came across Shooting USA by accident. I was fascinated. I made a decision to try my hand at shooting. Folks thought I had lost my mind. A blind man shoot? But they supported me.

I bought a SIG 226 in .40S&W. I shot that for awhile but had some issues seeing the standard stock sight. After talking with a few of the fellow shooters I placed XS Sights on it. I could focus on the front sight reliably and found I could hit a target if I concentrated on the front sight and followed through with my trigger pull. I became pretty good at it.

I competed in my first IDPA match in June 2007 at the Snow Shoe Gun Club in Palmer, Alaska. I live on the OK & TX border now. I’m within driving distance of a couple of places to shoot IDPA. I don’t miss many matches.

I contacted the match director for the Paris, TX IDPA match & asked if I could come shoot with them. He was very accommodating & encouraged me to show up. I met Mike in Paris, TX in August of 2007. I walked up to him with a grin on my face and said, "I forgot to tell you I’m blind. Still okay if I shoot with you guys?" He thought it was a joke & started looking around for the cameras. It finally dawned on him that I was serious. I asked him if it was going to be a problem. He stated as long as I was safe there would not be any issues. Mike briefed me on IDPA safety rules and invited me onto his squad.

He was amazed that I could hit the targets. We’ve become good friends since that day. He and the other shooters haven’t treated me any differently and the only bias is that they ensure I know where all the targets are. I don’t win any matches or stages. But I don’t come in last either.

Folks who don’t know me question my safety habits. They’re pleasantly surprised when they learn that I shoot nearly as well as sighted individuals. My greatest challenge is not shooting targets I didn’t know were there. Mike could relate several funny times when he had to tell me "Left. Left. Uh, more left. Now up." Then I found the target.

I’ve even taken some training classes from world class shooters. I managed my way into Todd Jarrett’s class last year. I shot with folks who weren’t sure about me but by the end of the two days were comfortable around me.

I’ve found shooters to be very safety oriented. In shooting sports or with any sport like Golf, Tennis, or Ping-Pong it is as safe as the organizers and players make it. I believe all shooting sports are far safer than the others. Not all ball players care if they hit another player with the ball, but shooters pay extra attention where their shots go and where their muzzles are pointed.

IDPA is a safe sport. It’s a sport I’ve come to love and appreciate. I enjoy the fellowship, the skill involved and the challenge of the game. It is a light at the end of my tunnel.

I would say just about anyone can shoot IDPA. Younger, older, less vision, less mobility; I don’t think there are many limitations in IDPA for those that want to participate. I would urge any that are interested in the shooting sports to at least try IDPA. It turned out to be a true joy for me.

The next time you come across someone clamoring about how dangerous guns and gun owners are, inform them they are wrong. Follow the safety rules, practice, never give up, never say die…and even a blind man can shoot IDPA.