Defying All Odds

Grit and determination: Characteristics athletes know are essential to get you through a race when your body feels like quitting. But Deborah Chucoski knows these words on an even deeper level.

As she prepares for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, France, Deborah has spent countless hours training her mind and body for the strength it takes to complete a triathlon — all while battling Stargardt disease, a macular degenerative disorder that deteriorates the eyes’ central vision.

At the age of 14, Deborah, a 2007 Cedarville alumna, started noticing some vision impairment. At the age of 15, she was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, and thus began a long road of living life in her peripheral.

While a student at Cedarville, Deborah competed with the track and field team all four years, and later, she competed in triathlons at the encouragement of her husband, and she hasn’t regretted it once.

To compete at the highest level, she is now running, cycling, and swimming with a guide. Competing with a guide has its unique challenges, but her determination to succeed overcomes them all.

Listen to hear Deborah share her story on the Cedarville Stories Podcast.