"In some little way, I am defying the perception of what a blind person can do."

"I live in darkness and it is so easy to give into it, but every day I make the choice to find the light.

I was born with a degenerative eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa and was told at the age of five that I would gradually lose my sight. I lost my central vision first, taking away details and depth perception, and by young adulthood I was left with small islands of peripheral vision. Eight years ago, I was rushed into emergency surgery that saved my life but in turn left me totally blind. I became lost within the darkness until the day that my husband brought me into a CrossFit gym for the first time. The CrossFit community instantly embraced me for what I could do instead of judging me for what I could not. I felt liberated and from that point on I thrived. I started to become who I truly feel I was meant to be. CrossFit has given me strength that I want to share with others like myself. I want to encourage others to know that blindness does not define us, and we can do so much more than we think possible."

— CrossFit Games athlete Kym Dekeyrel

Dekeyrel was the Fittest on Earth in the vision division in 2021 and won the Open in 2022.

This October, in honor of blindness awareness month, Dekeyrel is inviting CrossFit athletes everywhere to participate in “Finding the Light,” a workout she programmed to promote empowerment and inclusivity.

Visit Kym's Instagram page for more details here.