Blind runner inspires Van Wert students

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

High School cross country runner Sami Stoner was at Van Wert Elementary School on Thursday to tell her inspiring story to fourth- and fifth-graders there.

The fact that Sami is a runner is not all that inspiring in itself. In fact, the Lexington High School senior doesn’t even compete on the varsity team, but is a junior varsity runner. What’s inspiring about Sami is that she runs the 5,0000-meter cross country courses alongside her guide dog, Chloe.

You see, Sami is legally blind.

The young girl began losing her eyesight to a disorder called Stargardt Disease, a form of macular degeneration, when she was in the eighth grade. Today, she has only some peripheral vision remaining, but not enough to allow her to drive a car, although she can read if the text is big enough. It also makes it a bit tougher to get around for school in the morning, she shared with local students.

“I just have to hope my makeup isn’t smeared all over my face,” she said with a laugh.

The disease also doesn’t stop her from running, something she learned to love as a middle school student and still does nearly every day.

Sami also continued to compete in cross country, first with the aid of a friend who guided her through each course, but now with Chloe, a golden retriever she received from Pilot Dogs Inc. of Columbus — although the Ohio High School Athletic Association first had to change its rule banning guide dogs from athletic competition.

Although she told local students that, in 8-10 years, Chloe will have to retire as her guide dog, that doesn’t mean golden retriever won’t still be part of the Stoner family. “I don’t think at this point that I could give her up,” Sami said. “I absolutely love her.”

That’s readily apparent to everyone, since Stoner even talks in the second person “we” that includes Chloe when talking about her experiences. Both “girls” were named homecoming queen this year at her high school, which was an unexpected thrill for the modest and unselfish Stoner.

One thing you won’t hear coming from the young girl’s mouth is self-pity — or even regrets that she has lost most of her eyesight.

“I would never change the experience; I’d never want to give the experience up,” she told the students, adding that losing her eyesight has changed her life for the better. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it.”

In fact, Sami’s handicap isn’t really much of one to her, since she doesn’t let anything get in the way of what she wants to do, and that was also her advice to Van Wert students.

“Whatever you guys like, whatever your passion is, really just follow it and don’t let things stop you and hold you back,” she told the students. “Even if you have a problem or an issue, there’s always a way around it and you can do what you want to do.”

After graduation, Sami said she plans to attend Otterbein University in Westerville, a suburb of Columbus, and will “probably” major in psychology. While there, she would also like to run cross country, if possible.

Her independent “can do” attitude surfaced again when a teacher asked if there was an NCAA rule against using a guide dog to run cross country in college.

“I guess if there is, we’ll change that, too,” Stoner said with a confident smile.