KCTV 5Faces of Kansas City: Man sees more in life than just sight

One of the annoying aspects of getting older is those moments when a person realizes they're probably too old to make some of the dreams they had as a kid come true. But some people get lucky.

"I'm 39 years old, Jan. 12," Ron Kaplanis said.

For someone who's into competitive judo, that's old.

"Ron is a very unique individual," Kaplanis' coach said, who is former national grand champion Don Hinchsliff. "Ron is so positive and upbeat."

At his judo academy in Olathe, Hinchsliff has developed an astonishing 12 national champions and Kaplanis, who took up the sport just three years ago, might be his latest.

"I want to be the best there ever was, I want all jaws to hit the floor, I want all bones to quiver when I step on the mat. I'm going to get it," Kaplanis said.

No matter that some of Kaplanis' opponents are nearly half his age - that's the least of his worries.

"I tell people being blind is more of an inconvenience than a disability," he said.

Retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration robbed Kaplanis of his eyesight more than a decade ago.

"It's like seeing through thousands of cobwebs," he said, describing his eyesight.

At 6'3" and more than 200 pounds, Kaplanis is a physical specimen. As a boy he dreamed of competing in the Olympics.

"But what's so funny about it is I lose my vision and all of a sudden when I was ready to throw in the towel, here's this opportunity," he said.

It's clear that Kaplanis is a glass half-full kind of guy.

Two weeks ago he competed at the Dallas Invitational National Championships and placed fourth. It was the first time he competed against a blind opponent. Every other match had been against guys with perfect sight.

"That's a funny thing because you'd think there's a lot of sympathetic people out there, but I've yet to meet one so I take that as a sign of respect and go hard back at them," Kaplanis said.

He said judo is like chess and he believes his blindness is a strength.

"All of a sudden when I put my hands on you, I can see every move you're going to make," he said. "I can read you, I can feel you."

It's that attitude that now has training to make the 2016 Paralympic judo team.

"I eat, sleep and dream judo. I tell my coaches there's only two times in my day that I have my vision back. That's when I'm dreaming and when I'm in the act of judo," Kaplanis said.

Kaplanis recently spent some time at the Olympic training center in Colorado Springs.  His coach said he has the potential to be a future Olympian. 

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