Legally blind archer from central Alberta competes in world tournament this July in South Africa
When you can’t see, trust your instinct and feel.
This is how Wetaskiwin’s Anna Kim has become one of the top archers in all of Canada, at just 18 years old, while being legally blind. She is now headed to the 2023 Africa Genesis Archery (AGA) World Tournament from July 28-29 at Camp Discovery in the Limpopo Province of South Africa.
“There are definitely the challenges and struggles when it comes to some learning things, societal expectations is a big thing, but really, my mom did a great job at teaching me to be confident in my, I guess you could say, ‘disability’. I’ve been able to adapt fairly well and, I don’t want to say ‘fit in’, but be able to navigate this world coherently without bumping into a whole bunch of walls,” Kim joked.
Kim was born two months premature with optic nerve hypoplasia, a disorder that leaves the nerves underdeveloped. As a result, Kim has no vision in her left eye and limited in her right, with no depth perception or peripheral vision.