After Tanner lost his eyesight, he was able to look inside himself and see his value and true potential. He believes that forgiveness allows us to break free from our past to create a new future.
Tanner Gers has earned 4 degrees, published multiple books, started businesses, became a professional athlete, national champion in three sports, and is now a disability advocate, highly sought-after speaker, and Executive Director of My Blind Spot, a nonprofit who hires people of all abilities to test and remediate inaccessible websites and mobile apps. Here’s the thing though. Tanner accomplished all of this after waking up in the hospital, at age 21, totally blind.
As a disability advocate, Tanner has helped develop software so he and other blind individuals can independently access calculus equations, helped make the state of Arizona’s job board accessible to users of assistive technology, and serves on the Arizona Governor’s council Employment Committee for Blindness and Visual Impairment.
Debated to be the greatest batter in the history of the National Beep Baseball Association as a 6-time NBBA World Series All-Star and 3-time MVP since 2008 (beepball is the adaptive version of baseball for the blind)
(All track and field here) 2011 and 2012 US Paralympic Track and Field National Team Member, 2011 ParaPan American Games gold medalist and 2012 trials gold medalist in the long jump, 2012 US Paralympian in long jump and 4X100m relay, 2013 World Championship US Track and Field long jumper
2015 and 2016 National Champion in track cycling. His athletic career opened the doors for his professional speaking career, with programs delivered at companies, universities, and associations across the US, from the National Speakers Association National Headquarters, to Dartmouth College, SHRM, Wounded Warriors, Ford and Toyota. For Tanner, it isn’t about adding up any number of achievements though. It’s about embracing his life and living it to the fullest by helping others recognize and achieve their true potential, regardless of circumstance.
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