Two Firefighters Accompany Visually-Impaired Athletes During the NYC Triathlon
It may have been 93 degrees with 60 percent humidity on July 20, but Firefighters Kevin White and Jeff Pellis never noticed … they were more concerned with jellyfish, potholes and tandem bicycles.
The firefighters each led a visually-impaired athlete in the 2008 New York City Triathlon.
“It was one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done,” said Firefighter White, who works at the Fitness Unit at the Fire Academy.
Firefighter White led Charles Plaskon, 65, from Moriches, Long Island, and Firefighter Pellis accompanied 15-year-old Jacob Goldberg from Boca Raton, Fl., in the challenging competition.
Each found their partner through the C Different Foundation, which creates opportunities for visually-impaired athletes to participate in sporting events.
“I wasn’t sure to expect, but it worked out really well,” said Firefighter Pellis from Ladder 25. “[Jacob] was a great kid.”
The race began at W. 98th St. in Manhattan at the Hudson River, with the 1,500 meter swim.
Firefighter White was tethered to Plaskon, who is blind, by a four-foot bungee cord, swimming a short distance behind him to make sure the athlete remained safe and clear of the many swimmers and jellyfish in the water.
Since Goldberg is visually-impaired, Firefighter Pellis just swam alongside him to ensure he stayed on course.
When they exited the River at W. 79th St., they began the 40 kilometer bike ride that took them north on the Henry Hudson Highway to the Mosholu Parkway and back. For safety, both firefighters led the way on a tandem bike.
Then they did the 10 kilometer run across W. 72nd St. and into Central Park.
Again Firefighter White and Plaskon were tethered with a bungee cord, the firefighter running just behind the extraordinary athlete.
“If there was a step or a person coming I’d just say a little to the left or right,” Firefighter White said. “I had to watch carefully.”
Firefighter Pellis ran alongside Goldberg, letting him know about the water stations and major obstacles ahead.
“He would tell me how he felt throughout the race,” he said. “And he was having a great time.”
Yet neither the firefighters, nor the visually-impaired athletes, are strangers to physically difficult competitions.
At just 15-years old, Goldberg already has run several Olympic distance races and half marathons, and placed second among the visually-impaired male athletes at the Triathlon.
“You see someone that young and you don’t know how much he’d be able to do,” said Firefighter Pellis, who has run more than 10 triathlons himself. “But he already had so many races under his belt and came here with a lot of confidence.”
Similarly, Plaskon has completed eight marathons and placed third among the Triathlon’s visually-impaired athletes.
Firefighter White, who counted this as his third triathlon, joked: “He kept saying the six mile run was nothing, he was ready to do another 20 miles.”
Firefighter White said he learned about the C Different Foundation in February, when he and several other FDNY members competed in a half marathon against the Broward County Fire Department in a Ft. Lauderdale, Fl.
He said he was inspired as he watched several visually-impaired athletes competing in the race and began speaking with C Different’s founder, Matt Miller.
After learning that the organization was bringing athletes to New York City for the Triathlon, Firefighter White found numerous FDNY firefighters interested in volunteering.
Among them was Firefighter Pellis, who said he jumped at the chance because his brother is visually impaired.
Both firefighters said they cannot wait to partner with the C Different Foundation again. And although only two FDNY volunteers were needed for this race, they said there will be many other opportunities for members to participate in the future.
“These athletes are such an inspiration,” said Firefighter White. “Being up close with these incredible people, who can’t see but are still able to bike and run in this race - well, you have no excuse for staying on the couch after seeing them.”