(This story was updated to include new information.)
A blind veteran from Stark County is hitting the slopes next week.
John Albrecht, 78, a U.S. Army veteran from the North Canton area, will participate in the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, in which hundreds of veterans will travel to Aspen-Snowmass, Colorado.
The event allows disabled veterans access to guidance and instruction in performing popular winter sports activities, including skiing, sled hockey and snowmobiling. The clinic scheduled for Monday to April 5.
Albrecht said he's been taking part in the winter sports clinics since 2023.
"I was up at the blind rehab center in Cleveland ... and (someone) mentioned the winter sports clinic and summer golf clinic ... So I've been out to both," he said.
Albrecht: 'It's really enjoyable'
Albrecht said he's looking forward to the downhill skiing offered.
"I wear a vest that says 'blind skier,' and I have two guides," he said. "They really help out, and I'm improving."
Albrecht began to lose his vision in 2017, beginning with his right eye and then progressing to his left eye in the next year, making him legally blind. He maintained his peripheral vision, however, which aids him at the clinic.
"Because I am fortunate enough to have 100% peripheral vision, one of the guides skis in front of me and one behind me, and they tell me what I'm doing wrong," he said.
When he attended his first winter sports clinic in 2023, he said he was pleased to be able to overcome that barrier with the help of instructors.
"When I went out there, I was really unprepared ... I had good instructors, and they got me standing up straighter and telling me where to look," he said. "Things really have progressed, and I'm enjoying it much more now."
Albrecht said he's also done snowmobiling through the clinic, so he's excited to try that again.
"This year, for the first time, my wife is going to go out with me, and so I wanted her to see the snowmobiling and the continental divide and everything down the snow cap," he said. "It's really enjoyable."
Therapist: 'I'm looking forward to seeing how much he has improved'
Morgan Johnson, one of Albrecht's blind rehabilitation specialists, will travel to Colorado as well, and she said his peripheral vision has made him very adept at the clinics.
"It makes it really nice when he is skiing because he is able to see the bright orange or yellow vest that the guide wears," she said. "He has also put in a lot of effort to learn how to safely ski, and he's very, very great about ensuring his safety and navigating any obstacles he has."
Johnson said this is the second time she's attended the clinic with Albrecht, and she's excited to see how his skiing has progressed.
"I'm looking forward to seeing how much he has improved since the last time we went," she said. "Every time I interact with him, we're always coming up with new ways to make whatever situation he's encountering more accessible, and in my opinion, there's no better place to do that than the real world, and especially in a complex situation like traveling."
