1) Episode Summary

This episode continues the Navigating Life with Vision Loss sports series with a bold conversation on extreme sports. Host Kim Wardlow welcomes Shawn Cheshire, who shares her journey from vision loss after a traumatic brain injury to becoming a record-setting athlete in biathlon, cycling, hiking, and mountaineering. Together, they unpack misconceptions about blindness and risk, the role of fear in growth, and why communication, trust, and the right team matter more than special equipment in many outdoor pursuits. The conversation also explores rock climbing, water adventures, and mountaineering, while giving listeners practical encouragement to try something new, define failure differently, and take one meaningful step forward. The episode closes with Shawn’s reminder that the greatest barrier is often not disability, but access to people willing to do the adventure with you.

2) Contact Info

Guest / Organization
Shawn Cheshire
Choosing to See — choosingtosee.org
Instagram — @sean_cheshire
Shawn notes that reaching out through Choosing to See is a direct way to connect with her.

Aftersight
Aftersight
feedback@aftersight.org
(720) 712-8856

Producer Credits
Produced by Jonathan Price

3) Show Credits

Show: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guest: Shawn Cheshire
Producer: Jonathan Price

• (00:00) - Tempo: 120.0

1) Episode Summary

Kim Wardlow welcomes Evan Schwabrock, founder of Cane and Able Fitness, for a practical and encouraging conversation about getting started with strength training and gym fitness as a blind or low-vision person. Evan shares his story of losing most of his vision due to Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, how his background in kinesiology and disability studies shaped his work, and why he created Cane and Able Fitness to challenge the idea that disability means inability.

This episode focuses on real-world fitness basics rather than extreme performance. Evan breaks down the confidence, independence, and resilience that strength training can build, both inside and outside the gym. He offers encouragement for listeners who may have fallen off their goals, emphasizing that progress does not require perfection, only consistency, good systems, and sustainable habits.

Kim and Evan also walk through common misconceptions about blind and low-vision people in gyms, the difference between working out at home versus in a gym environment, how often someone really needs to work out to make progress, and what to do on that first day walking into a gym. Evan gives clear, accessible advice on gym safety, interacting with staff, using spotters, building around foundational strength movements, and understanding when it is time to increase weight or difficulty.

The conversation closes with myth-busting around fitness excuses, practical thoughts on working out with injuries or joint issues, and encouragement for listeners to stop waiting for the “perfect” time and simply begin in a way that works for them. It is a grounded, motivating episode for anyone wanting to get stronger, feel more capable, and approach fitness with vision loss in a way that is accessible and sustainable.

2) Contact Info

Guest / Organization
Evan Schwabrock
Founder, Cane and Able Fitness
Website: caneandablefitness.com
Socials: Cane and Able Fitness on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube

Aftersight
Website: Aftersight.org
Email: feedback@aftersight.org
Phone: (720) 712-8856

Producer
Jonathan Price
Podcast and Program Producer, Aftersight

3) Show Credits

Show: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
Host: Kim Wardlow
Guest: Evan Schwabrock
Producer: Jonathan Price
Organization: Aftersight

4) Chapter Markers

00:03 — Kim introduces the sports series and today’s focus on gym basics and strength training
01:35 — Evan shares his vision loss journey and the founding of Cane and Able Fitness
04:04 — Why strength training builds confidence, capability, and momentum beyond the gym
05:44 — Restarting fitness goals after falling off track and setting sustainable habits
07:23 — Misconceptions about blind and low-vision people working out in gym spaces
09:06 — How beginners can start small and ease into fitness without overwhelm
12:16 — Gym workouts versus home workouts: community, mobility, and accountability
15:10 — How often to work out when starting and why consistency matters more than volume
18:18 — First-day gym advice: asking staff for help, tours, and building support systems
19:27 — Safety in the gym, owning your space, and reducing avoidable hazards
22:16 — Foundational strength movements and how they connect to everyday function
25:07 — Machines versus free weights and why both have value in a training plan
...

Episode Summary

In this episode of Navigating Life with Vision Loss, Kim Wardlow continues the sports series by diving into aquatic sports with Jillian Stringfellow and Will Rastetter from Envision Blind Sports. Together, they unpack how blind and low-vision athletes can participate in swimming, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, and rowing with the right instruction, communication, and support.

The conversation highlights a simple but powerful truth: aquatic sports are far more accessible than many people assume. Jillian and Will explain that most adaptations are not dramatic. They often come down to clearer verbal instruction, guided orientation, hands-on learning, and building trust step by step.

The episode spends meaningful time on swimming, covering early teaching methods like breath control, bubble work, kicking, body positioning, lane orientation, and the use of tappers at the wall. Will also explains how swimmers grow from basic safety and comfort in the water to stronger stroke technique, confidence, and even school team participation.

From there, the discussion moves into kayaking, canoeing, and rowing, where communication, rhythm, and individualized cues become key. Jillian shares how Envision uses partnerships and trained volunteers to help athletes safely try new experiences, while also helping families see what is truly possible.

At its heart, this episode is about confidence. The encouragement is clear: try the sport, trust the process, and let the experience build belief. For many athletes, that first success in the water becomes a doorway into greater independence, community, and courage in the rest of life.

Contact Info

Guests / Organization

Jillian Stringfellow, Program Director, Envision Blind Sports
Will Rastetter, Swim Coach, Envision Blind Sports
Website: EnvisionBlindSports.org
General contact: envisionblindsports@gmail.com | (724) 967-4712
Jillian direct contact: jstringfellow@envisionblindsports.org

Aftersight

Website: Aftersight.org
Podcast: Navigating Life with Vision Loss
General contact: contact@aftersight.org | (303) 786-7777
Address: 1805 Hwy 42, Ste 220, Louisville, CO 80027

Producer Credits

Jonathan Price, Podcast Producer, Aftersight
jonathan@aftersight.org | (720) 712-8856

Show Credits

Host: Kim Wardlow
Guests: Jillian Stringfellow and Will Rastetter
Organization Featured: Envision Blind Sports
Producer: Jonathan Price
Network: Aftersight

Chapter Markers

00:00 — Kim opens the aquatic sports episode
01:13 — What Envision Blind Sports does
04:54 — Common misconceptions about blind athletes in water sports
07:05 — “Fearless, Do More” in aquatic settings
10:00 — The biggest fears athletes and families face
12:03 — Encouraging athletes who do not see themselves as athletic
15:13 — How Will teaches brand-new swimmers
20:15 — Lane orientation, walls, turns, and tappers
23:51 — First steps for getting started in swimming
26:31 — Confidence that carries beyond the pool
29:37 — Kayaking and canoeing: instruction, cues, and safety
34:59 — Family involvement, trust, and growing independence
37:56 — Rowing basics and why it works so well
43:20 — Safety habits and confidence tips across sports
46:06 — The moments that remind them why this work matters
48:24 — How to connect with Envision Blind Sports
49:10 — Kim closes and preview ...