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Choosing to See: Blind athlete biking across the country makes stop in Roanoke
USABA'S 45-for-45 Anniversary Series: Episode #17 - Shawn Cheshire
Blind athlete Shawn Cheshire rides BMX!
First Blind Woman to set World Record in the Grand Canyon
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LOS ANGELES —> Blind Paralympic cyclist Shawn Cheshire, 43, recently faced her biggest challenge — a rim-to-rim hike through the Grand Canyon. Cheshire crossed 68 kilometers of steep and uneven terrain, hiking through the night and finishing in 24 hours and 15 minutes — believed to be a record by a blind hiker.
La atleta paralímpica estadounidense Shawn Cheshire acaba de establecer un récord mundial al ser la primera mujer ciega que camina 42 millas (67,59 kilómetros) de borde a borde del Gran Cañón, en Arizona, recorrido catalogado como uno de los más peligrosos. La once veces campeona nacional en Tandem Cycling (bicicleta para dos personas) emprendió el camino el domingo en la medianoche con tres amigos que le sirvieron de guías.
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, AZ - If you're a thrill seeker, like Shawn Cheshire, taking on the 42-mile trek that is a rim-to-rim (and back) at the Grand Canyon is the ultimate journey. But she does things a little differently. Instead of her eyes, her ears guide her up and down the canyon.
• Details on Shawn's upcoming rim-to-rim hike through the Grand Canyon
• What it's like competing in the Paralympics, and the special challenges she has overcome, as a sight-impaired athlete
Paralympic cyclist and blind multi-sport athlete Shawn Cheshire is a fearless woman. The roundtrip trail crossing of the Grand Canyon (Rim to Rim to Rim) is not a challenge for the faint of heart and yet Shawn doesn’t use words like “attempt.” She states, “I’m not going to attempt this. I’m going to crush it.” Her conviction leads one to believe that no other option is possible.
After a freak work accident robbed Shawn Cheshire of her eyesight, she refused to leave her Camillus house for several months as depression and darkness over losing her sight left her feeling bleak and hopeless. "I had a terrible attitude,'' said Cheshire, who was 34 at the time.
Patrons of the veteran-owned gun shop where Staff Sgt. Kimberly Pate works sometimes ask if she "belongs to" one of her male co-workers. They often ask her to thank the men she works with for their service to this country. She smiles, politely, and informs them that she, too, is a veteran.
For weeks after an accident that would eventually leave Shawn Cheshire blind, the Camillus woman refused to leave her house. The blow she suffered to the back of her head five years ago injured her brain and slowly she lost her vision, leaving her in darkness.
Ninety-eight Americans are among the wounded warriors in London gearing up for the "Invictus Games." Athletes from 13 nations will compete in events ranging from basketball to cycling, swimming and archery, reports CBS News correspondent Jan Crawford.