Athlete of the Week: Kyle Simmons

Kyle Simmons: Overcoming Blindness to Run Cross-Country

MAQUOKETA, Iowa (KCRG) - Kyle Simmons from Maquoketa is legally blind, but that hasn't stopped him from joining the cross-country team.

"It's one of the few sports I can actually participate in because of my condition," said Kyle.

The school posted a job ad to find someone to run with Kyle in both practices and meets, but had no responses. So Maquoketa School Superintendent Tara Notz took it upon herself to fill the role.

"I want all of our students to have every opportunity. If Kyle wants to do this, then as a district, we need to make it happen for him. It's truly the best part of my day. I get physical activity and interact with the kids," said Tara.

Running a cross-country race without being able to see the turns and hills is unimaginable. That's where Tera comes in, running ahead of Kyle and guiding him verbally.

Kyle and Tera have developed a system, even creating a code word to signal passing other runners.

"Without the code word, Tera would say we're passing someone and they would know, so they would speed up. We came up with a code word for that," explained Kyle.

Kyle also finds joy in being part of something greater than himself, and he values his teammates' support.

"He's truly an inspiration to all runners, showing us that no matter our abilities or challenges, we all face them. There's always someone who has a bigger challenge but can persist and set a goal," said Jacob Nabb, Kyle's teammate.

Over the past four years, Simmons has made remarkable progress. Initially, he only completed part of the races, but now he finishes 5k's with new personal records.

Running has been a gift for both Kyle and Tera, significantly boosting Kyle's confidence.

"I'm glad I started. Otherwise, I would just stay at home because I can't play ball sports due to my condition. But now I know that I can do this and many other things," Kyle expressed.

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