Buccaneer senior Chris Abramson (rear, with
blindfold on) starts the 100-meter dash tethered
to his guide, David Cervantes (in fluorescent
vest) at the Eastern League Finals Fri., May 8.
Look at their hands to see the bright-green
tether. (Photos by Ed Piper)
By Ed Piper
Chris Abramson, the Mission Bay High senior who has pioneered para track and shot put for others to follow, competed in his last Eastern League Finals at Canyon Hills Fri., May 8. His parents, Noelle and Steve, were in attendance and trackside.
The likeable, gregarious student-athlete, who wears a "blindfold"-type cover over his eyes while running, has gained entry to San Diego State's para track athlete program next year, which he is really excited about.
Abramson, who was able to detect light as a young child in elementary school and later lost that "sight"--his dad Steve said he "didn't really have vision" at that age--was the only entrant Friday in his events: 100 meters, 200 meters, and shot put. In virtually every venue he competes in, he sets a new track record because he is one of the first to compete in the "ambulatory" category.
He loves advanced math, can entertain his listeners by doing various accents, and has a dedicated one-on-one guide, as it is called in para track, David Cervantes. Cervantes, a distance runner in his prep track days, patiently got Chris into the blocks he had to use in the 100 meters, as able-bodied athletes lined up alongside him for their own heats.
Chris (right), holding green tether, waits with
guide David Cervantes before the ambulatory
100-meter race. They would soon settle in
to the metal blocks (not in view) for the
start of the sprint.
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