Photo submitted by
Photo submitted by BOCES.
MORRISTOWN — A Morristown Central School student is training for the Paralympics.
Noel Dousharm is a shy, but friendly sixth grader at Morristown Central School, who, like many kids her age, is outgoing, loves to travel, plays video games on her Nintendo Switch, and enjoys making crafts, according to BOCES spokesperson Brittany Frank.
However, Dousharm also has a passion that sets her apart – Goalball, a sport for the visually impaired.
She was diagnosed with glaucoma at birth, and is legally blind in both eyes, with total blindness in her left eye. She navigates her school, home and community with the use of her cane and other aides that help her to see.
“Her visual impairment presents her with a unique set of challenges compared with her peers, but also allows her the opportunity to compete in goalball,” Frank said.
Goalball is a co-ed sport exclusive to athletes with visual impairments. It is played in a gym court, and the objective is to throw a ball, which weighs 1.25 kilograms and has noise bells to help orient the players, using a bowling motion into the opposing teams net, while the opposing team players try to block the ball with their bodies.
“Goalball is an intriguing sport to observe as absolute silence is required to allow the participating athletes to concentrate,” Frank said,
Noel was introduced to Goalball a few years ago while attending Campabilities in Brockport. She participated in the 25-Hour World Record Game, and was hooked. In July 2023, she began practicing on a competitive level with the New York Association of Blind Athletes (NYABA) Goalball team in New York City.
Dousharm’s team consists of mainly adult players, ranging from casual participants to national and USA Paralympians. “Her team has embraced having her, helped her develop her skills, and have provided her with a sense of team belonging that she has never experienced playing a sport with her peers,” Frank said.
Noel is one of the…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply