Meet Aria Ottmueller, a 17-year-old Arizona girl who qualified for the state championships in pole vaulting. Oh yea, and she’s legally blind. Ottmueller suffers from optic nerve hypoplasia, a condition which left her with 20-400 vision. She hasn’t let that deter her from competing in different sports including pole vaulting.
“I can’t really see anything — I can’t see the pit, or the mat, or the bar,” she told local news outlet East Valley Tribune with a laugh. “I can’t look down to see the runway. … [W]hen I jump, I’m just looking ahead.”
Last year she finished in 8th place at State’s clearing 7’6″. She’ll look to do the same this weekend.