Sixteen Individuals Selected to be USABA Sport Ambassadors for 2023

March 8, 2023

U.S. Association of Blind Athletes names second class of ambassadors to spread awareness and visibility of sport opportunities for blind and visually impaired Americans

Colorado Springs, Colo. (March 8, 2023) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The U.S. Association of Blind Athletes (USABA) is pleased to announce 16 individuals who will serve as the organization’s sport ambassadors for 2023. Now in its second year, the USABA Sport Ambassador Program utilizes key stakeholders within the blind and visually impaired community from across the country. The program’s goal is to spread awareness and visibility of sports for the blind and visually impaired community, assist in organization representation via outreach and partnership opportunities, and support fundraising efforts to continue and expand programming. The 16 sport ambassadors were selected following an application and review process and the group consists of athletes in the sports of goalball, blind soccer, track & field, swimming and triathlon, along with sighted guides and a blind sport administrator.

Among the ambassadors are seven Paralympians, including goalball athletes Zach Buhler (Huntington, Ind.), John Kusku (Commerce Township, Mich.), Eliana Mason (Beaverton, Ore.), Tyler Merren (Greenville, Mich.) and Calahan Young (Pittsburgh, Pa.), track and field athlete David Brown (Chula Vista, Calif.) and swimmer McClain Hermes (Dacula, Ga.).

They will be joined on the ambassador team by blind soccer athletes Ricardo Castaneda (Fort Worth, Texas), Antoine Craig (Richmond, Va.) and Bailey Martin (Hubbard, Iowa), paratriathlete Ashley Eisenmenger (Chicago, Ill.), blind sports administrator Sheena Hager (Chicago, Ill.), sighted guides Je’Von Hutchison (Boynton Beach, Fla.) and Cheyenne Meyer (McKinney, Texas), goalball athlete Megan Jenson (Tremonton, Utah) and endurance running athlete Jasmine Murrell (Plainfield, N.J.).

“Our USABA sport ambassadors are a great resource in partnering with local community-based organizations serving the blind and visually impaired to share their real-life stories, lessons and challenges surrounding perseverance, goal setting, leadership and more,” said USABA CEO Molly Quinn. “Through motivational speaking, sport demonstrations and one-on-one interactions, the sport ambassadors serve as powerful role models for young athletes and our community-based partners as they encourage our youth to believe they can achieve.”

For bio information and photos, visit the 2023 USABA Sport Ambassador page on the USABA website.

About USABA

The mission of USABA is to empower Americans who are blind or visually impaired to experience life-changing opportunities in sports, recreation, and physical activities, thereby educating and inspiring the nation. A member organization of both the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and US Soccer, USABA is certified by the USOPC as the national governing body for the Paralympic team sports of goalball and blind soccer. Since its founding in 1976, USABA has reached more than 100,000 individuals through its multi-sport programming in eight sports. The organization has emerged as more than just a world-class trainer of blind athletes, it has become a champion of the abilities of Americans who are legally blind. In 2022, USABA expanded its offerings of endurance sports events with the launch of its Team Tethered Together program for visually impaired runners and their guides. Learn more at www.usaba.org/.