Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind the source for blindness news and information since 1907

By Rick Madonik © Toronto Star — Finally, a home-cooked meal and the comfort of his own bed. Mark DeMontis deserves as much after his accomplishment. Back in June, he strapped on a pair of rollerblades and headed west. Some 5,000 kilometres – and four pairs of blades – later, he reached the finish in Vancouver on Oct. 16. More importantly, he had reached his goal of raising money and awareness for hockey for the visually impaired…. READ ARTICLE

By Bobbi-Sue Menard © Kelowna Capital News, British Colombia — A meeting between a young Central Okanagan hockey fan with impaired vision and a blind athlete on a fundraising quest through Canada has enriched the lives of both. Kelowna-area youngster Zachary Miller has long wanted to play hockey, although his visual impairment has kept the Grade 5 student from playing the sport he loves. Zachary was born with severely impaired vision and has optic nerve atrophy. He once was able to see the sport he loves on the television but now his vision is good to six inches and then everything falls away, with contrast and light and dark remaining, but not much else. But Zachary has not let his eyesight slow him down. He is an avid hockey fan and an active, happy boy who occasionally brings home an extra scrape or two from playing outdoors…. READ ARTICLE

By Thane Burnett © Toronto Sun, Canada — When Mark DeMontis completes a remarkable marathon odyssey in Vancouver on Friday, he’ll be fuelled by more than the diet of peanut butter and Tragically Hip music he’s counted on for 5,000 km. Legally blind, and having in-line skated the better part of the country, he’ll be running on a dream realized and goals still to come. “My mind is everywhere right now…I’m all nerves,” he tells Sun Media, while on the last leg of his journey to inspire blind hockey players and raise awareness for his organization, Courage Canada (www.couragecanada.ca). “There were times I wasn’t sure of myself… but here I am, at the end.” DeMontis — a 22-year-old hockey player who in 2002 was diagnosed with a condition that robbed him of most of his sight but not his love of the game — began his westbound skate from Toronto last June. Since then, he’s battled the curves of Northern Ontario, the endless stretches and headwinds of the prairies along with the sky-high climbs to the remote passages of the Canadian Rockies…. READ ARTICLE