Reflection On Erik Wehenmayer

No Barriers Reflection Imagine every sport you love playing being ripped away from you. One day, you’re able to hike up mountains to see a breathtaking view, and the next you can’t see two inches in front of you. This is exactly what happened to Erik Weihenmayer right before his first year of high school. Although he didn’t go blind out of the blue, it was still as if the Earth had shifted from right beneath him. Erik always new his juvenile retinoschisis would one day claim his vision, but when the days his vision started to progressively get worse, it was still a terrifying and shocking experience. Erik Weihenmayer, a man who became blind just before 9th grade, never let his blindness be a barrier for achieving greatness. Although he was blind, it was never the only barrier Erik faced, and challenge after challenge, he was able to overcome them all. From climbing mountains, to business disagreements, Erik never let them hold him down. Going completely blind in …show more content…
The first emotional barrier he faced was his mother dying his sophomore year of high school in the result of a car crash. In order to cope with this loss, his family took many hiking trips. It was hard for Erik to keep up because of his blindness. His brothers often had to guide him and describe scenery to him. The second emotional barrier was his brother, Mark, dying of alcoholism. Mark and Erik were very close as children. Mark was the type of brother “that would always be late” picking him up from school. Mark was the kind of brother that would do anything for his family. But when alcoholism took him over, he was a completely different person. He had a daughter who he gave up on seeing, he never accepted anyones help, and he gave up on everything. Even after all the rehab programs, Mark was never able to become sober, and he paid for it with his life. This took a huge toll on Erik, but he was able to overcome