ODESSA, Fla. — A Pasco County teenager with limited vision is preparing to compete on the world stage after being selected to represent the United States at the Goalball World Championships in Kazakhstan.
Lily James was born without vision in her right eye and has very limited sight in her left. But her visual impairment has not stopped her from excelling in sports, including goalball, a team sport designed for athletes who are blind or visually impaired.
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“It’s hard to say how bad it is compared to what everyone else would have. But I seem to thrive OK,” James said.
Goalball was developed after World War II to help rehabilitate veterans who had lost their sight. Today, athletes with visual impairments around the world play it.
Players wear blindfolds to ensure everyone competes on an even playing field, regardless of how much vision they have. The ball contains bells so players can hear it as it moves across the court.
Each team tries to score by throwing the ball past the opposing players, who use their bodies to block it.
“The ball is fast. It can go many miles an hour, and you are trying to get on the ground and block it with your body, and there are tactile lines so you can orient yourself,” James said.
Her skills have earned her a spot among just six athletes from across the country selected to represent Team USA at the World Championships.
“We never saw this coming. I mean, I knew she was good, but she’s just gone above and beyond, and we are just on the ride right now,” said Lily's father, Peter James.
Goalball is just one of several sports in which James has excelled. She also participates in swimming and weightlifting, is a member of her school's cheerleading team and serves as class president.
Her family said doctors had cautioned against some team sports because of the possibility of an injury affecting her vision. But they decided to let her pursue her interests and see what she could accomplish.
“With her eye condition, they told us she really shouldn’t do sports that were team sports where something could hit her head or affect her vision. And we were like, you know what, we are going to do it and see how far she goes,” her mother, Jennifer James said.
Now, with the trip to Kazakhstan approaching, the family is working to raise enough money to travel there and cheer her on.
James said goalball has given her confidence and helped her better understand her abilities.
“I love it. I feel so in tune with who I am and how my body feels in space, and I get into this flow state of I got this,” she said.
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