Impaired Vision Doesn’t Slow Down Triathlon Competitor From Mentone
July 2, 2019 at 2:39 a.m.
Impaired Vision Doesn’t Slow Down Triathlon Competitor From Mentone
By Jackie [email protected]
The difference between Secrist and the average marathon runner is Secrist’s vision impairment.
Secrist, of Mentone, said he lost his left eye as a kid and his right eye has a visual acuity of 20/2400. To give people an idea of how well he can see, if he was sitting at one end of a football field he would need to ask a person sitting next to him what was at the other end of the field. Secrist wouldn’t be able to see the goal post.
“I have to adapt to everything,” Secrist said, even though people don’t realize that he does.
He stated he doesn’t get into situations that make him uncomfortable and uses magnifying glasses if necessary.
Secrist was a long-distance runner in high school and college until he got hurt and couldn’t do it any more.
Seven years ago, he got back into running.
“I initially got into it to prove to myself that I could do it despite the pain,” Secrist said.
His first race was a half marathon and was “probably not the smartest way to get back” into it after 30 years.
For the last race, he’s been using a partner and guide to help train and run the races.
His guide, Barb Martz, of Warsaw, convinced him to run a triathalon in Winona Lake in 2018.
Immediately after the race, Martz asked if Secrist was hooked yet.
Martz is executive director of MyTeam Triumph Northern Indiana Chapter.
MyTeam Triumph is an international nonprofit organization, Martz said. The program provides opportunities for people to compete in distance races, half Ironmans, full Ironmans, 5Ks and full marathons.
“This is an amazing program that allows people to compete that normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to compete,” she said.
According to its website, www.mtt-northernindiana.org, it’s a ride-along program created for children, teens, adults and veterans with disabilities.
The chapter has branched out to Indianapolis, South Bend and Fort Wayne, Martz said.
Martz stated Secrist was one of her Angels, which is an athlete that pushes and pulls the team captain.
In the last seven years, Secrist has run in 15 half marathons and at least 100 other races.
His goal is to run a half marathon in every state, of which he’s already done seven.
“I’ll be pretty old if I accomplish that,” he said. “It was just a goal to get me motivated.”
For the races Secrist and Martz have ran together, they have found a way to work around Secrist’s eye sight.
“For the swim, we’re teathered,” Martz said. On the bike, it’s tandem. “It’s a bike for two people.”
Secrist credits communication to getting through a race as the pair talk a lot on the bikes, and can feel what each other is doing. Secrist said Martz tells him what’s coming ahead like big bumps.
“We almost have to become one person to get through a large part of it,” Secrist said.
For the half Ironman Secrist is training for, he will have to swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles.
Secrist trains year long, but has trained for 2-1/2 months specifically for the half Ironman. Secrist and Martz swim a half to one mile at least two or three times a week, as well as bike at least 20 miles four or five times a week. The most they’ve biked was 45 miles.
“We train two or three hours a day together and then we do stuff on our own,” Secrist said.
“It’s been a learning curve for us both,” he said, as he is the only one Barb has guided. “I put 100% of my trust in her.”
Secrist has to trust Martz won’t put them in a situation that will get them hurt.
“In a race like this, it’s all about trust,” he said.
Secrist said he’ll do more races this year, but they don’t have anything set in stone yet. However, he does plan to do a 100-mile bike ride in September in Wabash.
Secrist does the races for a reason.
“I could sit around and collect Social Security and nobody would say anything about it,” he said. However, if he can be productive, he feels he should. He also said he wants to show that people can always work around a handicap.
“A lot of people sit around feeling sorry for themselves,” Martz said.
“In a world where we focus on the negative and can’t do this and can’t do that, let’s focus on the positive,” Secrist said. “There’s people out there that will always help.”
The difference between Secrist and the average marathon runner is Secrist’s vision impairment.
Secrist, of Mentone, said he lost his left eye as a kid and his right eye has a visual acuity of 20/2400. To give people an idea of how well he can see, if he was sitting at one end of a football field he would need to ask a person sitting next to him what was at the other end of the field. Secrist wouldn’t be able to see the goal post.
“I have to adapt to everything,” Secrist said, even though people don’t realize that he does.
He stated he doesn’t get into situations that make him uncomfortable and uses magnifying glasses if necessary.
Secrist was a long-distance runner in high school and college until he got hurt and couldn’t do it any more.
Seven years ago, he got back into running.
“I initially got into it to prove to myself that I could do it despite the pain,” Secrist said.
His first race was a half marathon and was “probably not the smartest way to get back” into it after 30 years.
For the last race, he’s been using a partner and guide to help train and run the races.
His guide, Barb Martz, of Warsaw, convinced him to run a triathalon in Winona Lake in 2018.
Immediately after the race, Martz asked if Secrist was hooked yet.
Martz is executive director of MyTeam Triumph Northern Indiana Chapter.
MyTeam Triumph is an international nonprofit organization, Martz said. The program provides opportunities for people to compete in distance races, half Ironmans, full Ironmans, 5Ks and full marathons.
“This is an amazing program that allows people to compete that normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to compete,” she said.
According to its website, www.mtt-northernindiana.org, it’s a ride-along program created for children, teens, adults and veterans with disabilities.
The chapter has branched out to Indianapolis, South Bend and Fort Wayne, Martz said.
Martz stated Secrist was one of her Angels, which is an athlete that pushes and pulls the team captain.
In the last seven years, Secrist has run in 15 half marathons and at least 100 other races.
His goal is to run a half marathon in every state, of which he’s already done seven.
“I’ll be pretty old if I accomplish that,” he said. “It was just a goal to get me motivated.”
For the races Secrist and Martz have ran together, they have found a way to work around Secrist’s eye sight.
“For the swim, we’re teathered,” Martz said. On the bike, it’s tandem. “It’s a bike for two people.”
Secrist credits communication to getting through a race as the pair talk a lot on the bikes, and can feel what each other is doing. Secrist said Martz tells him what’s coming ahead like big bumps.
“We almost have to become one person to get through a large part of it,” Secrist said.
For the half Ironman Secrist is training for, he will have to swim 1.2 miles, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles.
Secrist trains year long, but has trained for 2-1/2 months specifically for the half Ironman. Secrist and Martz swim a half to one mile at least two or three times a week, as well as bike at least 20 miles four or five times a week. The most they’ve biked was 45 miles.
“We train two or three hours a day together and then we do stuff on our own,” Secrist said.
“It’s been a learning curve for us both,” he said, as he is the only one Barb has guided. “I put 100% of my trust in her.”
Secrist has to trust Martz won’t put them in a situation that will get them hurt.
“In a race like this, it’s all about trust,” he said.
Secrist said he’ll do more races this year, but they don’t have anything set in stone yet. However, he does plan to do a 100-mile bike ride in September in Wabash.
Secrist does the races for a reason.
“I could sit around and collect Social Security and nobody would say anything about it,” he said. However, if he can be productive, he feels he should. He also said he wants to show that people can always work around a handicap.
“A lot of people sit around feeling sorry for themselves,” Martz said.
“In a world where we focus on the negative and can’t do this and can’t do that, let’s focus on the positive,” Secrist said. “There’s people out there that will always help.”
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092