Living with CHM
Choroideremia (CHM) may affect your vision, but it does not define who you are or what you can achieve. A diagnosis can be jarring and frightening, and there are many unknowns along the way. Every person's journey with CHM is unique, and so are the ways our community continues to live meaningful lives despite the challenges.
Around the world, people with CHM are proving that vision loss does not limit possibility. Many have built thriving careers, launched businesses, excelled in athletics, created art, advanced scientific innovation, and become passionate advocates for accessibility and inclusion.
The CHM community is filled with remarkable individuals and families who continue to pursue their passions, achieve extraordinary goals, and make a difference in the world. Click to expand the categories below to discover how people affected by choroideremia are leading, creating, competing, innovating, and inspiring others every day.
Excelling on the world's biggest stages.
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND: L-R Sam Harding and his guide Harvey Luke of Team Australia in action on way to winning silver in the Mens Para Triathlon PTVI on day three of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Sutton Park on July 31, 2022 on the Birmingham, England. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)
Sam Harding
Australian CHMer Sam Harding continues to compete at an elite international level in para triathlon. Following his silver medal performance at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and his 8th place finish at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in the men's PTVI Triathlon, Sam has remained an active and high-performing athlete within the sport through 2025 and into 2026 training cycles and international competition seasons.
He continues to represent Australia in World Triathlon Para Series events and maintains his status as one of the leading visually impaired triathletes globally, consistently competing at the highest level alongside his guide, Luke Harvey. His ongoing dedication reflects his commitment to excellence, resilience, and long-term athletic performance in the sport.
Pieter du Preez ("Supa Piet")
South African Paralympian Pieter du Preez has achieved remarkable success in para-cycling while living with CHM. In 2024, he earned a bronze medal in hand cycling at the Paralympic Games in Paris. He followed that achievement with a silver medal in the men's H1 Time Trial at the 2025 UCI Para-cycling World Championships in Ronse, Belgium, further cementing his place among the world's elite para-athletes.
Rogier Dorsman
Dutch CHMer Rogier Dorsman continues to excel on the international stage as one of the world's premier visually impaired swimmers. At the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore, he added multiple medals to his already impressive career, reinforcing his reputation as one of the top S11 swimmers in the world.
Tom du Preez
Tom du Preez proudly represented the CHM community at Australia's premier CrossFit® competition, the 2025 Down Under Championship in Wollongong, NSW. Competing in the Adaptive Upper/Vision division, Tom earned first place overall, showcasing exceptional strength, determination, and resilience.
Camille "Cami" Harp
CHMer Camille "Cami" Harp completed his first half-marathon at the NYCRUNS Brooklyn Experience while raising more than $11,000 for CHM research. His accomplishment highlights the power of combining personal goals with advocacy and fundraising.
Jay Semple
Legally blind with only 20% vision, Jay Semple returned to competitive athletics after more than a decade away from the sport. Competing at the Welsh Championships, he earned two medals and has inspired many through his determination and perseverance. As Jay says, "If I can do it without being able to see anyone's face or two steps in front of me, you can too."
Living boldly and breaking barriers.
H. Eric Hartman
Known throughout the community as "The Blind/Low-Vision Traveler (BLT)," CRF Director of Advocacy H. Eric Hartman has spent decades proving that vision loss does not limit independence or adventure. Despite being legally blind due to choroideremia, Eric has traveled extensively throughout the United States and around the world, often traveling solo and inspiring others to pursue their own goals with confidence and determination.
Affectionately known as "Art-Man," Eric is also an accomplished artist whose work has been exhibited nationally and collected internationally. After leaving a banking career to pursue his passion for art, he built a successful career as a sculptor and painter. Today, he creates bas-relief sculptures using memory and touch, including a recent piece inspired by Claude Monet's lilies. In 2025, Eric returned to Art for Art's Sake at WRBH Studio in New Orleans—35 years after his first exhibit there—to showcase his latest collection of sculptures.
Danny Boren
Alongside his father, Danny Boren founded the first zipline company in the United States in Hawaii in 2002. Their entrepreneurial vision helped launch an entirely new adventure tourism industry and serves as a reminder that CHM does not limit innovation or ambition.
Sedona Dave
Founder of Awarewolf Gear and inventor of the All Terrain Cane, Sedona Dave is passionate about helping people with vision loss explore the world with confidence. Through his platform Off the Beaten Path with Sedona Dave, he shares outdoor adventures, accessibility insights, and practical tips for living an active and independent life.
In addition to developing innovative mobility solutions, Dave offers a blog, podcast, and a variety of community resources designed to support and empower individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Through his work, he continues to encourage others to embrace adventure, build confidence, and push beyond perceived limitations.
Click to listen to an interview with Sedona Dave & Eric Hartman.
Absorb the Light
After learning that their sons, Felix and Atticus, have choroideremia, Victoria and Andrew chose to focus on making meaningful memories while supporting CHM awareness and research. Through their Absorb the Light initiative, the family has raised nearly $6,000 while sharing their journey with the broader community.
In 2025, the family embarked on an extraordinary six-month trip around the world, visiting 16 countries and experiencing everything from the pyramids of Egypt and African safaris to motorbike rides in Vietnam and snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. Their story is a powerful reminder of the importance of embracing the present, creating lasting memories, and never giving up hope in the face of uncertainty.
Sharing experiences through creativity.
Christopher Dean
Auburn resident and CHM family member Christopher Dean authored Tunnel of Vision, a memoir that chronicles his family's experience with choroideremia and progressive vision loss. Through his writing, Christopher raises awareness of inherited retinal diseases while offering insight, understanding, and hope to others navigating similar journeys.
Click to Preview or Order Dean's Book, A Tunnel of Vision, on Amazon
Christopher Denton
Christopher Denton wrote and released the song Farewell, My Friend, dedicated to the CHM community. Through music, he honors the friendships and connections formed within the community, with proceeds benefiting the Choroideremia Research Foundation and its mission.
Aaron Everitt
CHMer Aaron Everitt published Turning a Blind Eye to the World, sharing his personal experiences living with vision loss. His book offers readers insight into resilience, adaptation, and finding purpose while navigating life's challenges.
Click to Preview or Order Everitt's Book, Turning a Blind Eye to the World on Amazon
Dave Furgoch
The six-part docuseries Get Hooked follows four queer millennial women as they learn catch-and-release fishing with diverse guides. Season 1, Episode 2 features CHMer Dave Furgoch and angler Rick Klatt as the group fishes for catfish in Arnprior, Canada, while discussing how people who are blind or visually impaired experience the world through senses beyond sight.
John Powers
Hosted by CHMer John Powers, Blind and Refined shares candid conversations about living with choroideremia. Through storytelling and personal reflection, John explores topics ranging from diagnosis and acceptance to independence, relationships, and personal growth.
Click to listen to John Powers Podcast on YouTube, Blind and Refined
Cory Rainford – Legally Blind No Limits
CHMer Cory Rainford is the creator of Legally Blind No Limits, a YouTube channel dedicated to helping people with visual impairments live fuller, more confident lives. Through videos that share practical tips, personal experiences, and lessons learned along his journey with vision loss, Cory encourages others to refuse to let their impairment define their happiness or limit their potential.
With a focus on making life with low vision and blindness easier, better, and more enjoyable, Cory's content aims to help others see life differently, embrace new possibilities, and find greater confidence in navigating everyday challenges.
Informing, inspiring, and leading.
Donny Nadeau
A lifelong member of the Saint Mary's University community, CHMer Donny Nadeau received the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his distinguished 29-year career in athletic communications. His leadership, storytelling, and service have left a lasting impact on collegiate athletics and the broader community.
Click to learn more about Donny Nadeau's Lifetime Achievement Award
Driving discovery and accessibility forward.
Dr. John-Ross Rizzo
CRF Board Member Dr. John-Ross Rizzo is internationally recognized for his work advancing assistive technology and accessibility for people with disabilities. After receiving the Howard A. Rusk Leadership and Innovation Award in 2023, he continued to drive innovation in transportation accessibility, artificial intelligence, and emerging technologies. In 2024, he was honored with a DOTTY Award from the Intelligent Transportation Society of New York for his contributions toward creating more accessible and inclusive transportation systems.
Tim Galvin
Tim Galvin, a member of the CHM community, was named a winner of the 2025–2026 CARTA (Cube Analysis and Rendering Tool for Astronomy) Image Competition. His winning image, Deep Radio-Continuum Insights Towards the Galactic Plane With ASKAP, highlights both the beauty of astronomy and the power of scientific discovery, visualization, and innovation.
Living with CHM means adapting, coping with change, and finding new ways to engage with the world. The Choroideremia Research Foundation is here to support you every step of the way because life with CHM, while challenging, can still hold purpose, connection, and impact. By sharing experiences and raising awareness, our community helps drive research and brings us closer to treatments or a cure.
CRF is registered as a US 501(c)3 nonprofit organization EIN: 04-3511754
Our mission is to raise funds in support of scientific research leading to a treatment or cure of choroideremia, a hereditary retinal-degenerative disease that causes blindness; to educate people affected by the disease; and to inform the public.
©Copyright 2025 The Choroideremia Research Foundation Inc. All Rights Reserved.