CONEJO VALLEY : Blind Athlete Tells Inspirational Story

Craig MacFarlane had successfully completed three jumps on water skis and was about to attempt a fourth when he was interrupted. A reporter wanted to know how MacFarlane, who is blind, had beaten the odds by accomplishing such a feat.

“It’s funny you should use the term ‘odds,’ ” MacFarlane, 28, said, recounting the story. “Since I was the first one to do it, who set the odds?”

Beating the odds has been MacFarlane’s main goal in life. And another goal is to take his inspirational message to other young people. He spoke at four Conejo Valley schools Tuesday and Wednesday and to 100 students and parents at Sequoia Intermediate School in Newbury Park on Tuesday night.

Introduced as the “world’s greatest blind athlete,” MacFarlane has won 136 medals, included 103 gold medals in wrestling, golf, downhill skiing, water skiing and track and field in high school and college.

He told of falling eight feet from a ski chairlift and noted how easy it would have been to give up.

“But when you do that, there may not always be someone to help you up,” MacFarlane, 28, told the crowd Tuesday night. “If things aren’t going your way, find another way to do it.”

MacFarlane was accidentally hit in his left eye with the striker of a welding torch at age 2 1/2. Six weeks later, he contracted a rare disease called sympathetic ophthalmia, causing him to lose sight in the other eye.

The Canadian athlete began wrestling at age 8. He wrestled for 11 years, racking up 582 victories and 44 loses, primarily against sighted opponents.

“I never wanted to afford people the chance to say, ‘He lost because he’s blind,’ ” MacFarlane said.

For the past few years, he said, his biggest challenge has been making the transition from athletics to the business world, speaking nationwide to schools and businesses. His $6,000 speaking fee for the five engagements in Ventura County was covered by local businesses, said businessman John Grace, who coordinated the event.

MacFarlane advised students to believe in themselves.

“If you do, you’ll stand up to pressure that kids face today,” he said.

And to public school teachers who instruct students with disabilities, he suggested they “not treat them any differently. All we ask is to be treated as equals.”

Megan Hughes, 8, was inspired by the speech. “Even though he’s blind, he knows he can do anything we can,” she said. Her mother, Therese Hughes, said the community needs more motivational people.