COON Kyle

Classification
PTVI (World Triathlon, 25 Jun 2021)

Type of Impairment
Vision impairment (teamusa.org, 15 Apr 2021)

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (teamusa.org, 15 Apr 2021)

Impairment Details
He was diagnosed with bilateral sporadic retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer, at 10 months old. His left eye was removed in 1997, and his right eye in October 1998. "Eventually the cancer, and the effects of the treatment, damaged my eyes beyond repair. So my family made the decision to remove my eyes, which was really the only sure-fire way to beat the cancer once and for all. And what would happen to me as a totally blind kid, teenager, adult? The answer to that question was as absent as my light perception. I wanted to watch Disney movies, Star Wars and [American] football games. I wasn't really sure how I was going to do all of those, but I must've known that I could somehow, otherwise I wouldn't have said, 'It's going to be okay, mummy'." (teamusa.org, 15 Apr 2021; 303triathlon.com, 13 Feb 2019; independencerunandhike.com, 23 Oct 2018)

Guide
Andy Potts (teamusa.org, 15 Apr 2021)

General
GUIDE
In August 2020 he teamed up with a new guide in US triathlete Andy Potts, who competed at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. "He's one of the best American triathletes of all time. He's ridiculously strong, and it's like having a coach with me every single step of the way. He brings 20-plus years [speaking in 2021] of athletic experience at the elite of the elite level. That's invaluable, and it's pretty incredible to have him next to me. We were all jazzed, but when you've got Andy Potts getting in your face pumping you up, you can't help but get even more amped." (teamusa.org, 15 Apr 2021)

MOVE TO COLORADO SPRINGS
In January 2019 he moved to the US Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America, as a resident athlete. "While not a Colorado native, Colorado has been my permanent home since 2016 and it's been where my heart calls home since I first visited to learn to ski in the early to mid 2000s. From 2016 to 2018 I lived in Carbondale, just down the valley from Aspen. In August 2018 the International Paralympic Committee [IPC] announced that male visually impaired triathlon would become part of the slate of events at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. And in October I was accepted to become an official member of the USA Para Triathlon Resident Team. So in January 2019, I made the move to Colorado Springs and took up residence at the US Olympic Training Center with the goal of qualifying for the 2020 Games." (303triathlon.com, 13 Feb 2019)

ROCK CLIMBING
A few months after his right eye was removed in October 1998, he was visited by US mountaineer and rock climber Erik Weihenmayer, who had also lost his sight. "He was a rock climber, sky diver, downhill skier, and did all kinds of stuff I'd never heard of or thought was possible for anyone to do, let alone a blind guy. The only experience I'd had with other blind people were the handful of visually impaired kids at my elementary school. I'd never really interacted with any adult blind people. He was talking to me like I was an equal, like he knew the struggles I was having adapting. When we parted ways Erik told me to not be afraid to live and be a kid. He told me to give rock climbing a try and that he'd always be there if I needed a friend. Less than two years later, my sisters and I were top ranked competitive rock climbers. In 2004, I learned to downhill ski. In 2006, I accompanied Erik and a team of visually impaired and sighted students from across the US to hike the Ancascocha Trail into Machu Picchu [Peru]. In 2007, I joined up again to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa." (fox21news.com, 03 Mar 2021; 303triathlon.com, 13 Feb 2019; independencerunandhike.com, 23 Oct 2018; orlandosentinel.com, 26 May 2016)

BOOK
In 2021 he released his autobiography 'Discovering a Life Without Limits'. (Andy Potts Facebook page, 07 Aug 2021; catchstory.co.in, 14 Jun 2021)

OTHER ACTIVITIES
In January 2021 he was appointed programme and safe sport coordinator for the United States Association of Blind Athletes [USABA]. As part of the role, he helps to plan and implement logistical management for USABA events and programmes. "I'm incredibly excited, humbled and honoured to join the USABA team. Having been totally blind much of my life I recognise the critical role sports, recreation and physical activity play in the life of someone who is blind or visually impaired." (USABA Facebook page, 05 Aug 2021; usaba.org, 20 Jan 2021)