Owen Cravens

Challenge: Visually Impaired

Sports: Triathlon, Swimming, Cycling, Running, Goalball

Bio: Owen Cravens is a visually impaired triathlete and high school freshman. He runs on his high school cross country and track teams and works hard in school, where math and science are his favorite subjects. After school, Owen likes to play with his dogs, Bismarck and Messi. He also likes to play X-Box and do homework (not really, but he also wants to get into a good college in a few years). Owen’s athletic goal is to go to the Paralympics in triathlon! He stays active by training with his triathlon team and a local swim team during the summers. Owen also likes playing basketball with his friends, eat Chicago pizza and hang out with his family. His favorite sports teams are the Chicago Bears and the White Sox, even though they haven’t had great seasons…in a long time!

When Owen was young, he played soccer until he was diagnosed with Stargardt Disease, a juvenile form of macular degeneration. Owen knew his vision was bad, because he started having trouble seeing things that were right in front of him. He was only 10 years old when he received the diagnosis but just thought he saw things the way everybody else saw them. Because his central vision has rendered him legally blind, he is grateful to have and be able to use a lot of his peripheral vision. Owen relies on assistive technology for school, and he reads enlarged print and Braille, but he uses a lot of audio tools for textbook and pleasure readings. Owen has met so many great people through athletics and says he is lucky to go through life with all of them! CAF has opened new windows for him to be successful and has given him great opportunities! He loved “The Best Day in Triathlon” and youth camp, and he looks forward to more great experiences with his new teammates and friends. Owen’s motto is “Believe it. Achieve it. Anything is possible.”