This little pint-sized cutie is Adrianna Kenebrew, an 11 yr. old legally blind gymnast whose tenacity overrides her diagnosis. When Adrianna was 5 months old, doctors diagnosed her with congenital glaucoma. She underwent over 12 surgeries and medical professionals were still only able to preserve a little bit of Kenebrew’s eyesight. At three years old, Adrianna was left legally blind.
When Adrianna gets on the uneven bars and balance beam, though, onlookers seemingly forget all about her disability–and she does too. The 11 yr. old super gymnast told Houston’s Fox26, “Every so often it occurs to me that I can’t see.” Along with her young willpower, Adriana’s athletic skill, coupled with her strong sense of her surroundings, is quite impressive. During competitions, she uses the same equipment as everyone else, with no extra help, and still receives high scores.
Asha Kenebrew, Adrianna’s mother says, “The gym is one of the only places where there are no real accommodations for her. Everything is the same. She gets on the same balance beam as everybody else. I don’t know, but I think that may be why she loves the sport.” Adrianna says she wants to be just like Gabby Douglas, but “I want to be the first visually-impaired gymnast to win gold at the Olympics.” When asked if she’d change anything about herself, the confident 11 yr. old taught us all a lesson in self-esteem: “No. I like who I am,” she proclaimed.