Unless you’re living under a rock, you would know Olympian Stephen Nedoroscik, aka the United States’ pommel horse specialist who made it to Team USA because he was especially skilled in the apparatus.
His instant fame from his Olympics stint is actually made more inspiring by the fact that his glasses a la Clark Kent were not just for show. He actually has a condition called strabismus, that when he whips off his glasses, he cannot really see anything.
Strabismus affects eye muscles, causing the eyes to not line up properly and point in different directions. So, “Super Steve” is actually just relying on touch when he goes into competition mode without his specs.
He also has coloboma, a genetic condition that happens when some of the tissue that makes up the eye is missing at birth.
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With Steve going viral at the Olympics for helping his team secure their first team medal in years, it seems as if his story is inspiring young people who also suffer from eye conditions.
In an interview in Today, Dr. Glen Cestari, director of adult strabismus at Mass Eye and Ear, said that what Stephen has done was amazing for young people because it gave them hope that they too can be an elite athlete even with their eye condition. It also raises awareness about the treatment options available.
“I’ve never seen anything like this with the Olympiad. I think it gives children a lot of hope,” Cestari said.
