Louie McGee ’19 is Neither “Helpless, Nor a Hero”

Reprinted from Traditions, Winter 2019-20
April 3, 2020

Louie McGee ’19 was running in suburban St. Paul with a group of fellow Ironmen-in-training when they kept warning him of a pineapple in the trail. He figured it was a good-natured joke. Then, he tripped over a pineapple.

McGee was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, a degenerative eye condition, when he was five years old. Nowadays, his lack of vision prevents him from doing things like seeing stray pineapples in his path, but not much else. In fact, he has used it as a driving force to achieve bigger and bigger goals.

“I don’t know that I could have run the Ironman if I wasn’t blind,” he said. “There’s no way I could have run that many miles that many times and gone through that much pain without a good reason for it. I wanted to inspire people to reach beyond their limitations, and knowing that helped me push through.”

In many ways, Louie’s high school experience was the same as any CDH student’s. He participated in sports, performed in the school musical, and made friends for life. For parents of other blind children, that alone has been an inspiration.

“A dad once told me that he couldn’t sleep at night after his daughter was diagnosed because he was so worried about her, and then he found my videos,” McGee said. “He said I got him through the first couple of nights.”

As a sophomore, McGee founded a nonprofit, Louie’s Vision, to help other blind kids understand the resources available to them and live life to the fullest. He hosts events, provides mentoring, and does public speaking on overcoming obstacles and disability awareness. His goal is to help people see life as an adventure, and develop the skills they need to pursue their dreams.

Milan Tomaska, a ten-time Ironman, helped McGee train and was his guide through the race.

“When we started, he was absolutely not a runner,” Tomaska said. “But I never had a doubt in my mind he would get there, because he’s so determined. He has a million plans for how he wants to make a difference, and I’m confident he can do it.”

McGee wants to be admired for the things he has accomplished, not for accomplishing them without vision.

“I don’t need to be a hero, and I’m definitely not helpless. I’m just blind.”

In August, McGee became the youngest person ever to present at TEDxMinneapolis. His speech, about “turning disability into possibility,” reflected on his accomplishments and goals for the future, and how we can all reach for our dreams. Watch "This Blind Ironman Turns Disability into Possibility."