DUE TO A RARE EYE DISORDER.
EVER SINCE THEN LIFE TOOK SOME
UNEXPECTED TURNS.
>> THERE IS SOMETHING THAT ALL
SKATERS HAVE THIS BOND, THIS
CRAZY LOVE FOR THIS WOODEN TOY
THAT WE ALL GET, THAT OTHER
PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND.
SO THE MINUTE YOU HAVE THAT
LOVE, YOU ARE IN OUR CLUB.
>> AS A YOUNG BOY JUSTIN BISHOP
DIDN'T KNOW HOW HARD IT WOULD BE
TO LEAVE THAT CLUB.
WHEN A DEGENERATIVE EYE DISEASE
WOULD EVENTUALLY CLAIM HIS SIGHT
A AN ADULT.
>> IT WASN'T UNTIL I WAS 25
WHERE, LIKE I HAD THIS PRETTY
BAD PROGRESSION WHERE A LOT OF
CENTRAL VISION LEFT AND THINGS
JUST BECAME BLURS AND SHADOWS
ALMOST WITHIN A WEEK PERIOD.
>> AND HOW DID THAT AFFECT YOU
MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY?
>> THAT TIME WAS A BAD TIME.
YOU KNOW, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME
IN MY ROOM DRINKING, JUST TRYING
TO, YOU KNOW, IGNORE IT OR JUST
DEAL WITH IT.
I THINK A LOT OF IT WAS
GRIEVING.
YEAH IT WASN'T TILL LIKE ABOUT A
MONTH AND A HALF LATER, WHERE MY
DAD WAS JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE
GOT TO GET UP AND GO.
YOU GOT TO FIGURE OUT LIFE
AGAIN.
>> AND THAT MEANT GETTING BACK
TO THE BASICS.
WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO RELEARN?
>> HAD TO LEARN MOBILITY AND
ORIENTATION TRAINING, WITH MY
CANE.
THE CONFIDENCE WAS ONE OF THE
HARDEST THINGS.
LEAVING YOUR HOUSE WHEN YOU ARE
BLIND IS JUST, IT'S FRIGHTENING.
>> GAINING THAT INDEPENDENCE
AGAIN WAS HARD ENOUGH.
SKATEBOARDING TOOK EVEN MORE
TIME AND PATIENCE.
>> I DEFINE MYSELF AS A BLIND
INDIVIDUAL.
AND MY OWN DEFINITION OF WHAT
BLIND PEOPLE COULD DO WAS
LIMITING.
AND SO I LOVED SKATEBOARDING
WITH ALL MY HEART.
AND I JUST DIDN'T WANT IT TO
HURT MY FEELINGS AGAIN.
SO I ACTUALLY AVOIDED
SKATEBOARDING FOR A WHILE.
>> Reporter: WHAT DID IT LOOK
LIKE THE FIRST GOAROUND WHEN YOU
DECIDED TO GET BACK ON IT AGAIN?
>> THERE'S A LOT OF FALLS.
BUT I MEAN, I EVEN MISSED
FALLING.
I MISSED ALL OF THAT.
>> Reporter: JUSTIN SAYS HE
SPENT HOURS UPON HOURS, FALLING
AND FAILING.
>> THERE IS JUST A LOT IN HERE
THAT MY BRAIN AND BODY WANTED TO
DO THAT I JUST PHYSICALLY
COULDN'T DO ON MY SKATEBOARD AT
THE TIME.
>> Reporter: INSTEAD OF GIVING
UP HE BECAME AN ADAPTIVE SKATER,
LEANING ON HIS SENSES.
>> SO THIS IS AN AUDIBLE MARKER.
IT GIVES ME A GOOD TWO FOOT
RADIUS OF WHAT TO AIM FOR OR
NOT.
>> Reporter: TOOLS TO FEEL OUT
THE RAMP AND MUSCLE MEMORY.
>> THAT IS MY WALK IN ONE.
IT IS A MAR MALTIP.
THIS IS A LARGER MARSHMALLOW TIP
WITH A ROLLER ON IT AND THAT IS
THE NORMAL ONE I SKATE WITH WITH
A LARGER BALL TIP.
>> JUSTIN STARTED COMPETING
AGAIN.
EVEN PLACES 1st LAST YEAR AT A
NATIONAL SKATEBOARDING EVENT.
DID YOU EVEN REALIZE THAT COULD
BE AN OPTION TO DO THIS
PROFESSIONALLY?
>> NOT AT ALL.
>> HIS GRIT GOT NOTICED.
HIS STORY FEATURED IN A RUFFLES
COMMERCIAL NARRATED BY LeBRON
JAMES.
>> TODAY'S WORLD IS LOOKING PAST
MY CANE.
THEY ARE LOOKING PAST THE
SUNGLASSES AND JUST SEEING
ANOTHER ATHLETE.
>> Reporter: EQUIPPED WITH A
GROWING PLATFORM AND EXTENDED
SUPPORT SYSTEM INCLUDING HIS
WIFE CAROL, JUSTIN SKATES TO
ENCOURAGE OTHERS LIKE HIM TO
DROP IN AT A SKATE PARK.
>> AND THEN KICK, AND PUSH.
>> BEING VISUALLY IMPAIRED WE
HAVE TO WORK HARDER THAN THE
AVERAGE HUMAN JUST TO GET ON A
BUS CORRECTLY.
JUST TO, YOU KNOW, GET TO YOUR
HOUSE, GET TO YOUR MAILBOX.
AND IF WE COULD WORK HARDER FOR
THOSE THINGS, WE CAN WORK HARDER
IN THE SPORTS OR PASSIONS WE
LOVE.
>> JUSTIN SAYS SKATING PUT HIS
LIFE INTO FOCUS.
ON HIS JOURNEY BACK INTO A
UNIQUE CLUB.
>> AND SO IT MADE ME JUSTIN
AGAIN.
I'M NOT BLIND ANYMORE.
I'M JUSTIN.
I'M A SKATER.
>> Reporter: JUST AN INCREDIBLE
STORY.
AS YOU KNOW THE PARALYMPICS
HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN BEIJING.
AND JUSTIN'S GOAL IS TO HAVE
DRAPTIVE SKATING AT THE GAMES IN
2028.
AND HE ALSO TELLS ME THAT
ROUGHLY 10 ADAPTIVE SKATERS LIKE
HIM WHO ARE VISUALLY IMPAIRED
AND JUST LIKE ANY OTHER ELITE
ATHLETE THERE IS A LOT OF
TRAINING INVOLVED.