It all started on a cool day in the fall of 1964 when Craig was two years old. He was playing with a few friends in the backyard of his parent's home when someone got their hands on a striker (a device used for lighting a welding torch) and it accidently hit craig in the left eye causing permanent blindness. Within six weeks his right eye went blind through a rare eye disease called Sympathetic Opthelmia. The disease causes the good eye to go blind in sympathy of the injured eye. By 2 1/2, Craig was left totally blind, without even the ability to distinguish between night and day.
Over the next few years (ages 2 - 5), Craig spent months on end as a patient at Sick Children's Hospital in Toronto, Ontario....400 miles from his parent's rural home in Desbarats, Ontario. There were many trips to the hospital as the doctors tried to control the Sympathetic Opthelmia from putting too much pressure on his brain.
At age 6, Craig was required to attend the only school for the blind available at that time. The school was in Brantford, Ontario....500 miles from his home and family. This came as a shock to Craig. His parents had never treated him as a blind person. He was always included in family activities such as camping, fishing, hikes in the woods and even snowshoeing a trapline with his father. Craig's blindness was never treated as a limiting handicap.
The school for the blind introduced him to the sport of wrestling. He was only 7 years old at the time and began wrestling sighted opponents shorly after. Eleven years later, when he retired from the sport, he had won over 90% of his life-time medals in wrestling. Craig's passion wasn't only sports though. He also learned to play several instruments in school including the piano, trombone, trumpet and clarinet. In later years, Craig would put his musical talent and creativity to good work by recording two pop/rock albums.
As a teenager, young Craig was one of Canada's top blind sprinters. Being from a country that loves hockey, he became an accomplished skater and was right at home in the rugged outdoors of Northern Ontario.
A life changing move occurred when he was 19. Craig left his beloved home and moved to the United States to live with Hockey Hall Of Famer, Gordie Howe and his wife Colleen. He lived with them for eighteen months and Gordie Howe became his mentor. It was with the Howe's that his speaking career was born when they discovered Craig's unique and incredible talent for communicating with people. The compelling story of Craig's tragedy and triumph captivated audiences of all ages. But Craig had more to give than just his story. He saw things in a different way than the rest of us, a term he calls Inner Vision. It's this incredible inner vision that motivates and inspires people around the world.
As his career built momentum, he continued his passion of competing in sports. When most young men were starting college, Craig was speaking to corporations and organizations of all sizes throughout the world, well on his way to becoming a renowned international speaker. But he was still an athlete and found time to amaze the world with his numerous achievements. While living with the Howe's, Craig won the Blind Downhill Skiing Championship in Alta, Utah, and was clocked at a record breaking 50 miles per hour. If snow skiing wasn't enough, a few months later he won the U.S. Blind National Water Skiing Championship in Florida. He stunned the world later that year in Oslo, Norway where he won the World Blind Water Skiing Championship and proved his incredible versatility as an athlete. His intense desire and passion to be the best at whatever he submerged himself in shone through. He has 103 gold medals to prove it. Craig was the first totally blind person in the world to water ski jump - a feat that is incredibly difficult for even a sighted person. It was part of the world famous ski show at Cyprus Gardens in Florida where Craig was employed and those days remain as some of his fondest memories.
All the while he was fulfilling his athletic dreams, he continued to develop his speaking career by appearing in front of numerous audiences to share his uplifting message. Craig's story and message touched the hearts and lives of everyone that was forunate enough to see and hear him speak and he quickly blossomed to a world renowned inspirational speaker.
During this period of growth, Craig challenged the golf world where he shot a 91 using a technique he calls "Muscle Memory". The technique comes from his inner vision where he trains his other senses to compensate for his lack of sight. By training his muscles to repeat the stance and swing for any given shot, Craig was able to perform at a high level. He uses muscle memory for many other activities including shooting a basketball and swinging a bat.
Craig's story has been featured in Readers Digest, on 60 Minutes International and shows such as PM Magazine, That's Incredible, and many other media publications. The publicity is world wide and truly captures the essence of Craig MacFarlane and his incredible zest for getting the most out of life.
Throughout, Craig has only viewed his blindnesss as "just a minor inconvenience" rather than a handicap. This typifies his positive outlook and his can-do spirit.
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The actual striker that injured Craig. He still has it!
At Sick Children's Hospital in Toronto, Ontario
  
Winner!Let's go!
Giddy-Up!
More Athletics - Discus
Hometown
Desbarats, Ontario, Canada
population 400
"FOUR!!!"
Hey coach! Aren't these my water skis?
From up here I could 'sense' the vast mountains and hear the skiers racing down the slopes. | |
