Community Spotlight #8 – Victoria Nolan

I’m not going to lie to you.  I’m extremely happy and honoured to have had the opportunity to do this interview.  Victoria represents exactly what the Brighter Nights community is.  A remarkable person who has achieved remarkable success on the world stage.  Yet, all the international success does not overshadow the contributions she makes here at home, shaping the minds of our youth.  I believe she is a champion in every sense of the word and I am proud to count her among my friends.

I first learned of her after seeing a story about her in a local newspaper.  The story was not about her achievements on the water, or her contribution to the community.  No, it was about the discrimination she encountered at a local gas station, being denied entry because she had her guide dog with her.  I knew I needed to reach out to her and share who she is with Brighter Nights.  The news article can be found by clicking this link (http://www NULL.thestar NULL.com/news/article/1053313--blind-rowing-champ-turned-away-at-gas-station).

Who is Victoria Nolan?

My name is Victoria Nolan.  I am a mother of two young children, a World Champion rower on Team Canada, a Grade Four teacher at Gledhill Public School and I have lost almost all my sight to Retinitis Pigmentosa: one day I will be totally blind.

My sports career began late, I started rowing when I was 31 years old. Sports were never a part of my life before because no one accommodated my needs.  Being part of a team has taught me how important it is to reach out to other people to accomplish my goals. This is true in my everyday life as well; I have been able to overcome some substantial obstacles. My strength to face these obstacles has always come from the support of my husband, Eamonn my children, and my guide dog, Vegas.

For more information on Adaptive Rowing, which changed my life in so many
ways, please see the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQi17foZNcI (http://www NULL.youtube NULL.com/watch?v=iQi17foZNcI)

Or contact me at my email address (nolan NULL.victoria null@null gmail NULL.com).

And now for the questions…

I understand you are a teacher.  Was this something you always wanted to do?  What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I have wanted to teach since I was five years old.  This year I’m teaching a grade 4 class at Gledhill Public School.  Teaching with low vision is a challenge, but what I love most about it is that my class and I work together as a team, I need their help as much as they need mine and so we are always learning together.

Has being sight impaired changed what you feel it means to be a teacher? How do your students react to you?

Being sight impaired enhances what it means to be a teacher, students have to take a new perspective on things, develop empathy.  We work together to solve problems related to my vision loss and their oral language skills become much more important.

My students have always shown me respect because I always give them respect.  Many of them admire the obstacles I have overcome.  They love the fact that I failed gym in school and now row for Canada.  They have living proof that you really can achieve anything if you are determined to do it.

In addition to teaching, you are also an elite competitive rower.  How did you get started in that?

After my two children were born I lost a significant amount of my sight in a short period of time. I had a really hard time dealing with it for a couple of years and I didn’t like where I was heading.  I especially worried that my children were going to grow up thinking their mom was incapable of doing what other people could do. I decided I had to take up something that got me out of the house and being independent.  I tried different activities, but when I tried rowing I fell in love with it instantly.  It is exhilerating to be able to move so fast and to work my body so hard knowing I am completely safe.  I always row with other people in the boat so they do the steering, I just have to pull hard!

Does sight loss impact your ability to train or compete?  If so, how do you overcome these obstacles?

It definitely has an impact, but there are so many ways to accommodate people with any type of physical disability in rowing.  In order to keep time with my teammates I listen to the sounds in the boat and feel it’s rhythm. Initially when I was learning to row I sat in the front so everyone followed my rhythm.

We have a coxswain in our boat who steers and also coaches us so during races she lets me know where we are and what we need to do to advance. The biggest obstacle has nothing to do with the sport, it’s getting to the club to train.  I have to be there before TTC even starts up in the morning, and the club is almost impossible to get to by public transit anyway.  I usually have to take a taxi which is very costly.

What is your definition of happiness?

I am most happy when I am with my family, but in order to be happy in life it seems I need to be constantly seeking out challenges and finding ways to overcome them!

What words of advice would you give to someone who is sight impaired and wishes to follow in your career footsteps?

There are ways around all percieved obstacles, it just takes some creative thinking and individuals who are willing to work with you to overcome them. It won’t be easy, but don’t give up. Also, it is important to be flexible and be willing to change to suit what options are available to you.

You recently had an unpleasant experience at a local convenience store, being asked to leave because you had your guide dog with you.  What would you like to say to other sight impaired people out there, who may, and likely have encountered the same discrimination?  Is there anything you would like to share with the sighted community, who may see this article?

It’s difficult to say something to guide-dog users in general.  I personally think it is important to stand up for our rights when they are violated. People have worked hard to have the law passed and we are very fortunate that it was passed.  It is a human right to travel with your guide dog anywhere that people go.  If we are limited where we may or may not be able to go, or we feel anxiety about leaving the house with our guide dogs (which I often do), those laws are useless and so are our guide dogs.  We have our guide dogs to give us freedom and independence.

At the same time, I would never tell someone what they should do in these situations.  I find it very difficult to speak up when this happens to me, and sometimes I don;t.  It is hard enough to just get where you need to go without adding conflict to your day. What motivates me is knowing that it is the right thing to do and although it makes me uncomfortable and is a hassle in general, it is worth doing in the end. Especially if it will end up helping someone else.  Sometimes I think “What if my daughter or my son needed to travel with a guide dog, I wouldn’t want them to have to go through this.”

If you do feel the courage to speak up, know that the law is behind you; both in the city by-laws and in the Ontario Human Rights Code.  You can call by-law enforcement or the police to support you in an incident, and you don’t have to call immediately, you have up to 6 months to file a complaint. It is through education and awareness that a difference will be made.

What i would say to sighted readers is that legally service animals are allowed anywhere that people go – stores, restaurants, hotels, public transit, hospitals etc.  I am surprised how many people don’t know this.

What’s next for you? What goals would you like to achieve next?

I am continuing to train in rowing, the London (Olympic) Games are next summer and my goal is to win gold for Canada.

After the Games I will retire from competitive rowing and focus on my family and my teaching career.

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What amazing insights!  Thank you, Victoria, for sharing a little bit about yourself.  We wish you all the best in your career, your training and we’ll all be cheering you on next summer.

To our readers, what do you think?  What stuck out most with you?  Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.  Also feel free to click the “Like” button below.  We would sure appreciate it!

Finally, if you are sight impaired and would like to share your story with us, send me an email here (jay null@null brighternights NULL.org).  You don’t need to be an elite athlete. Achievement comes in many forms.  What matters is that you are not letting your sight define or limit you.