The blind and other physically impaired people of the world face nearly insurmountable limitations in their journey to achieve their dreams. However, some are fortunate enough to have natural talent, motivation, and acceptance of others on their side, allowing them to pursue their life's ambitions to the maximum extent their bodies will allow. One of these people is the football player Charlie Wilks.
Charlie Wilks was born with sight. However, as he got older, about the age of 5, it became apparent that his vision was getting worse and worse. As it turned out, he had a large brain tumor which was severing his optical nerve. After 3 painful surgeries, he was left safe but blind. Around this time, he realized a passion for football. He had a family history, too- his grandfather played for the Chiefs in the very first Super Bowl. He would obviously have some challenges to overcome before he could realistically play. After training, he proved himself to be a talented tackler, knowing the right direction to push at the start of a play, earning him the respectful name of "The Beast". He can make his way easily in middle school football, but his relatives are skeptical of his ability to compete at the high school and college levels. But he has gained fame as the blind footballer, and continues to work toward his goal of being the first blind professional football player of all.
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