Blind Student-Athlete Inspires Others By Fighting Through Her Challenges

Feb 05, 2020 by apost team

Weighing only 1½ pounds at birth, it could be considered miraculous that Mariah Maryman even survived to grow into a young woman. Born four months premature, the little girl persevered and has since gone on to become a star student-athlete.

Mariah was born blind in her left eye with only a tiny bit of vision in her right eye. Even though it often seemed too much to bear, she continued to push through all of the obstacles in her way.

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As reported by CBS DFW, the fighter is now a junior at Kennedale High School in Texas. In addition to playing the saxophone in the school marching band, Mariah is also a runner on the girls' track and cross country teams. Because her limited vision still allows her to see the contrast between the white lines and the asphalt, Mariah is able to run the 800-meter dash and the mile race without any assistance.

When she competes in cross country, Mariah is tethered to another teammate. This tethering helps her traverse hills and avoid obstacles that may trip her up along the way. As her coach, Phillip Irby says that he admires the way that Mariah keeps putting one foot in front of the other.

Mariah's goals for the future include continuing to be an inspiration for other people with disabilities. She is true proof that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

Mariah boasts a 3.7 GPA with dreams of becoming a mechanical engineer, CBS DFW continues. With this degree, Mariah wants to build prosthetic limbs to help people regain a sense of normalcy.

For more on this inspirational story, be sure to check out this video. After you have watched the amazing clip, you can spread the message to everyone in your social network.