Noah Malone credits life skills success to Bosma after losing sight at age 13
Noah Malone is a decorated Division I track athlete and Hamilton Southeastern High School graduate who has competed in three international meets and is a member of U.S. Paralympics. He will be in Tokyo this week to make his debut in the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
Malone is a sprinter for Team USA Track & Field, competing in the 100-meter and 400-meter dashes in the T12 classification. His many athletic accomplishments include winning gold at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships as a member of the 4×100-meter relay and anchoring Indiana State’s record-holding 4×100-meter relay team.
Malone is also one of the few legally blind Division I track athletes in the nation. At age 13, he was diagnosed with Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), a rare genetic disease that leads to central vision loss. Following his diagnosis, Malone was introduced to Bosma’s Center for Visionary Solutions, which he credits with unlocking his potential.
Malone participated in Bosma’s Student Training and Employment Program (STEP), which provided him with the necessary training to give him the confidence to navigate life.
“In high school, I learned about a summer internship opportunity with Bosma Enterprises, which offers a program to help blind and visually impaired high school students develop a career path and learn skills,” Malone said. “Joining that program was the best decision I made. I gained valuable work experience, received training and learned interview and resume prep skills that help me be successful still today.”
“Noah is a testament to what we do best here at Bosma,” said Bosma President & CEO Jeffrey Mittman. “We’ve been able to watch him grow over the past few years, and our team is honored to watch his success. At Bosma, we create opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired. We hope our clients gain the independence they need to navigate life in a successful way, but we never knew our impact would help Noah compete at the Paralympics.”
Malone also has talents off the track. He will be publishing a memoir, Losing Vision, Not Dreams: Reflections on My Teenage Years, about his journey through vision loss and becoming a Paralympian. Malone wrote the book to encourage teenagers and kids like him going through LHON.
“With focus, hard work and a positive mindset, you too can stay the course and finish strong,” Malone said.
Hoping for a strong start and finish in Tokyo, Malone arrived Monday in Tokyo for the 2020 Paralympics. Finals for the 100-meter dash is Aug. 29 and the 400-meter dash finals is scheduled for Sept. 1.