Taking The Lead Podcast_080426_Manny
Leslie: [00:00:00] Welcome to the Taking the Lead podcast, where we empower people to be unstoppable. I'm Leslie Hopkins with my co-hosts Alyssa Otis and Timothy Cunio. Hello, you two. Can you believe we're end of August?
Alyssa: End of August. I love this. It's pumpkin spice season is coming up. We're-
Leslie: Officially. Officially.
Alyssa: Yeah. So, well, my husband's more excited than I am about it-
but that's okay.
Leslie: You like-
Alyssa: I
Leslie: like a pumpkin spice latte That- Okay.
Alyssa: See, and I'm out for all things pumpkin.
Leslie: Really?
Alyssa: Except the photos that I can take of my son in the pumpkin or near the pumpkin, I don't choose to eat them.
Leslie: Yeah. I love a good pumpkin spice. Yeah. Uh, really anything in the fall. Yeah. So I'm still
Alyssa: like, uh- Good to know.
Leslie: Yeah.
Alyssa: Okay. Alwa- always good to know what you can bring.
Leslie: Well, not only do we, uh, have pumpkin spice to look forward to, but this fall already so many things are happening. We are getting ready, uh, [00:01:00] to host our Low Vision Expo. Is this our third? I
Alyssa: think this is our third year.
Leslie: This is so exciting. We host it in combination with the Rochester Public Library, uh, Oakland Talking Book, and so they are fantastic and work together.
Amazing. And we bring in probably 20-plus exhibitors, so other services in the Detroit area, if you will, Eastern Michigan area, for people who are blind or low vision, and it's just fantastic. It's a great day to learn about what's around.
Alyssa: It is always so busy. We are always sitting there going, "Oh, I don't know how many people are gonna show up.
I, I hope it's a good turnout like the year before." And then w- the minute it opens, I'm telling you, the minute we start having people come, it is just an influx. And we have everything there from, obviously Leader Dog has a table there, but we've got, uh, technology there. We had somebody who does birding- Mm-hmm, yeah
for individuals who are blind or low vision, how they can go birding in different ways. Um, I- it really some cool... A lot of camps. We have some kids camp stuff for other organizations that service younger children. [00:02:00] It's a great one-stop shop to learn about all of these, you know, resources for you. It's great.
Timothy: I, I'd be interested in that birding one. I love birds.
Leslie: Honestly, Timothy, it is very interesting, and they bring these little, like, um, stuffed animal
Alyssa: birds. They're, yeah, stuffed birds that have the actual bird call. I happen to have one in my house. Yeah. Not from them, but big fan of birds. Um, a- and, uh, when you squeeze it, it makes the sound that the bird makes.
Pretty cool. It's pretty cool. Yeah. And so they've got all of those out there. They talk about, you know, how to distinguish the sounds and different ways to locate birds and where they would be. It's really interesting, honestly. Something that I didn't know was out there until the Low Vision Expo, so again, another reason to come by.
Leslie: So if anybody is listening and is local, please do join us on September 23rd. It's a Wednesday from 10:00 AM to around 1:30. We'll have exhibitors. We'll have light refreshments, um, and then a couple other l- like presentations, learning opportunities. It's a great time to just network, get to know other resources, so-
Alyssa: Yeah
Leslie: looking forward to [00:03:00] that.
Alyssa: That one's on our campus, which is great, but there's also, I've been noticing, we have a lot of local clients in certain states that are asking to go to these conferences. So I know we're gonna be hitting up, I think, Iowa and Georgia soon. We've had clients hear about conferences and reach out to us, which is fantastic because as many times as Leslie and I would love to be everywhere we can be We can't.
We're only two people. So having clients attend some of these conferences or conventions is a great way to not only get Leader Dogs' name out there, but to share personal experience, which is always nice to hear.
Leslie: Yeah. I believe, Timothy, you've gone to a couple conventions and conferences- Mm-hmm ... uh, on our behalf as well, not only just Lions things.
I mean, you're all over the place.
Timothy: Yeah. It's fun. It's interesting to get out there and talk to the Lions. They get excited about Leader Dog everywhere I go. Uh, we're such part of their history, and, and they love supporting Leader Dog.
Alyssa: It is incredible. If anybody hears of any conferences [00:04:00] in your area that you say, "You know what?
That sounds interesting," let, let us know. Let Leader Dog know. We can't guarantee that we can be everywhere. We can't guarantee that we'll be able to, you know, register for each conference and, and whatnot, but it's definitely worth a conversation.
Leslie: Yes, absolutely. So we look forward to hearing from everybody- Yeah
and seeing you all at the Low Vision Expo.
Alyssa: Absolutely. And today, we want to talk to a special guest who has been involved with Leader Dogs for the last two years as a guide dog user.
Leslie: Here with us today is Manny Puma. Manny is a psychology student at Hunter College following his time at Queensborough Community College.
Outside of his studies, he is dedicated to weight training and fitness to stay competitive as a goalball player. He is also passionate about fostering a safe, inclusive environment for visually, for young visually impaired and blind athletes through his work with the New York Association for Blind Athletes.
Timothy: Good morning, Manny. It's a pleasure having you on the podcast this morning. What made you so interested in Leader Dog two or three years ago? Good [00:05:00]
Manny: morning, everyone, and it's my pleasure to be here, and quite an honor. I've been listening in off and on since, uh, coming back from class, and it's great to see the evolution of this podcast, um, and what you guys have done here.
So for me, my journey starts really about three years ago. I was taking orientation and mobility in New York, which is where I'm from. And, you know, I've been a cane user my entire life, never really knew anything else. I always heard about guide dogs and how, like, impressive they are and just incredible, incredible workers.
So I never really was exposed to that until y- about three years ago when, uh, my O&M instructor paired with a little bit of encouragement from my mom. She's my rock. She's, she's amazing.
Timothy: Aw.
Manny: She encouraged me to, to ask if, uh, she could find any programs, my O&M instructor could find any programs that, that offered, um, the best quality guide dogs around.
So she did some digging, and [00:06:00] she came across Leader Dog and gave me all the information, the application, helped me through the process, and through that, I found myself in Michigan. It was quite an experience.
Leslie: So prior coming, prior to coming to Michigan for your Leader Dog, had you ever walked with a guide dog or done a Juno walk or anything like that?
Manny: No, believe it or not, no. I remember in high school they would take students to, uh, the local school to, you know, on trips to get exposed to guide dogs and, and, and how they, how they operated. But you know, I, I never was fortunate enough to experience that. So yeah, Leader Dog was a first for a lot of things.
Alyssa: Wow, that's interesting. It's, that's a big decision to make. How-- So I know you obviously said you hadn't really been exposed. You knew about being a cane user. And so what really kind of... What was the draw? Was it 'cause we know canes and dogs both have their pros and cons. Was it you wanted to be less tactile, you know, traveler, you wanted to [00:07:00] get places quicker?
What kind of was your reasoning for wanting a dog? Or was it multiple? I mean, it could just be, "Hey, let's see how this goes." You know, there's no wrong answer. I'm just curious as an instructor myself here.
Manny: There were a, um, a few reasons. I wanted to be a little more independent, and I think for my parents, having an extra set of eyes, a, a companion, you know, for them it sort of was, um- A little relief
a, a, yeah, a little relief for them. So that was, that was some of it. But for me, a lot of it was, you know, I, I've had dogs growing up, and I've always loved them and, and caring for them, and I was really seeking my independence, right, through, through, uh, my parents' relief, but I was also seeing, seeking, uh, sort of like a companionship, right?
'Cause, you know, I've always been attached to them, and it's just... It's, uh... And, and a new style, right? A new way of traveling was something that really stuck out to me, and I wanted to give it a shot.
Timothy: So you come to Leader Dog, get your dog. What was that week like for you, that [00:08:00] anticipation of getting your new dog and a new form of travel independently?
What was that like for you?
Manny: It was interesting. It was interesting, I, I do gotta say. Um, that first week, I got there on Sunday and just, you know, was, was already feeling the butterflies, you know, just being in the facility, being oriented to everything. It was in- incredible, and everyone was so nice. It really helped calm me down in anticipation for, uh, dog day.
Alyssa: Everybody waits for that dog day.
Manny: Once I was paired with Leader Dog Ally for the first time, it was great. It's quite a rollercoaster of emotions, I do have to say. Um, but you know, to answer your question, Timothy, it's really eye-opening, um, you know, just to pick up that harness and, and just, like, sort of lose a little bit of that, like, tactile, um, feedback that you get with the cane.
But you know, you, you, you gain, one, a little bit of speed, right? Because your dog has that ability, right? That, you [00:09:00] know, to walk in a, in a, a straight path, right? So you're kind of relying on them to, to take you from curb to curb. So just that, that is, um, was for me just pretty, pretty cool, I do have to say, for, for lack of a better word.
Just it was really cool. It was really cool the first time. I was a little scared, you know. Of course. As, as I bet a lot of people are a little scared, but, but you know, it was just eventually I just, I got used to it and, and you know, just giving my trust to the dog.
Leslie: That's a huge part of it. That is huge.
And not only, you know, your new leader dog, but also your instructor. One person we have to talk about here is Anu, uh, who was your guide dog mobility instructor. How was that getting, uh, n- not only to know your new dog, but you're also getting to know so many people while on campus, your guide dog mobility instructor, other people in class, RAs, kitchen team.
Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Manny: Yeah. Um, you know, shout out to Anu.
Alyssa: Yeah.
Manny: How are you? Hey.
Alyssa: She's gonna love that. [00:10:00]
Leslie: She just- Yes ... officially graduated also and became a guide dog mobility instructor, is no longer an apprentice. I did see that. So huge congratulations to her.
Manny: Oh, yes, congratulations, Anu.
You deserve it. It's a long three and a half years. I- you've grown so much. Yes. And you've al- you've always been there for me and for now Ivy. Um-
Alyssa: Yeah ...
Manny: so I do appreciate you, you know, 'cause I know you're listening. Oh.
Alyssa: She is waiting for this- Oh,
Manny: yeah ...
Alyssa: episode to come out, I am sure.
Manny: So, um, you know, to go back to your question, uh, just meeting everyone, uh, for the second time now, um, I skipped over a little bit.
Uh, I was... I had to, I had to return Allie, um, unfortunately after about nine months, uh, which was, which was a little heartbreaking and a tough- Of course ... transition for me. You know, just working with someone for that long, it was a long time for me. Yeah. Getting them used to your habits, your, your family, it's just...
It was hard, but [00:11:00] you know, I- Mm-hmm ... I, I knew that she was gonna be well taken care of, and I went through that whole process. But coming back, you know, a- as it was the first time, just- You know, everyone made me feel welcomed and, and safe and just appreciated, right? And, and, you know, just, it's just another, another good time that we're gonna have.
Another, another great three weeks. So coming back- That's good ... seeing Anu again, n- need- seeing that, you know, she's going to be my instructor now, it was so cool to see her growth at that point. Everyone was so nice, uh, both times as, as I said. Kitchen staff were great. Shout out to all of them. The RAs-
always, always willing to help. Always so caring and just concerned with your needs and amazing. Everyone, amazing. I can't express that enough.
Alyssa: Well, and what's nice is, you know, you were kind of talking a little bit about your, your journey to now working, but people's journeys aren't linear at Leader Dog, you know, or, or anywhere really.
So everybody, it kind of [00:12:00] looks different for some people. Some people come and they get a dog. They work with that dog for, you know, 10 years. And some come and, and get a dog, and something changes, and maybe they need to come back. And, you know, I wanna commend you because I know that those three weeks are, like you said, an emotional rollercoaster, and you did have to go through them a little bit sooner, uh, you know, or closer together than some other people.
But I'm glad to hear that everything seems to be going well. And from learning a little about you from Anu, I know that you are a busy person. And so now I know your dog is a busy person. And one thing I wanna make sure that we do touch on is what you do outside of Leader Dogs, as much as I could sit here and talk about Leader Dog my entire day.
Um, we know you do so much more, so I need to know more about goalball. Yeah. Can you tell me, well, I know what it is, but tell people that maybe don't know what it is, um, about goalball and, and what do you do with your dog during that? You know, just a little bit more about it.
Manny: Oh, yeah. So goalball is a Paralympic sport.
It's a sport for the blind, specifically played by [00:13:00] them, by us, right? And it's actually, fun fact, I think one of two unique sports that aren't adapted from any other sports. So we have, uh, wheelchair basketball, we have blind baseball, blind soccer. So it's just, it's one of a kind. So that's a really big wrap for me.
So essentially, goalball is played by teams of three. Who will go head-to-head in a volley style game, right? Sort of trying to roll or bounce the ball across this 18 by nine meter court into each other's nets. These are nine meter long sort of like soccer nets. They're a lot shorter than soccer nets, but essentially the objective is to speed it across the other side and pass the, the team of three that's, that's against you.
So what makes it interesting is that everyone is blindfolded. So no matter what area of the spectrum you fall under when it comes to visual impairment or blindness, it's, everyone is, is sort of on an equal playing field. [00:14:00] So we wear these blackout shades, and we use these tactile lines that are essentially either wire or like a nylon layered with tape over them so that we can feel with our hands, our feet to sort of navigate the court, run around.
Pe- uh, athletes do some amazing things on this court. I do some stuff too, you know, but not at the level of some of these other guys. Yeah. It's really intense. It's real- it really is. Uh, from what I, I've seen, players have this three-pound ball embedded with bells, right? Sort of like a basketball, but it's heavier.
It's three pounds, and they've been known to throw it, uh, more than 30 miles per hour across that court.
Leslie: Oh my gosh. That's concerningly fast.
Alyssa: Yeah. And you
Leslie: wanna block it, so you're, like, jumping in front of it. Oh, yeah. Me, I'd be running the other way.
Alyssa: I don't think goalball's for you,
Leslie: Leslie. I don't, no, I don't.
We know that. That's... I didn't realize it was three pounds.
Alyssa: Yeah. I didn't realize it was... I knew it was heavy.
Leslie: And 35 miles an hour. You've gotta be kidding me. [00:15:00] Yeah. Oh, yeah. And you guys are, like... I mean, I've seen it played a couple times. Like, yeah, like, full on diving. So not only are you getting pelted with the ball, but you're also taking hard falls.
Alyssa: It's like rugby mixed with dodgeball- Yeah ... mixed with football and soccer. Yeah.
Leslie: Maybe.
Manny: It's,
Leslie: it's quite intense. Some people
Manny: call it like a, almost like a human, um- Foosball? Foosball. Human foosball. There you go. Oh, wow. Thank you. Yeah, I knew
Alyssa: it.
Manny: Thank you. Human foosball. It's really great.
Alyssa: That's fantastic.
That's... And how did you get into this? That's very cool.
Manny: High school.
Alyssa: Yeah.
Manny: I went to the New York Institute in the Bronx, and they specialize in hosting students with blindness or low vision And I went there all my life, so when I reached high school, I was old enough to play on athletic teams. So through that, I was able to join their
A, a lot of things. You know, swimming, wrestling, track, and goalball. Wrestling and goalball were, uh, some of the things that really stuck out to me, but you know, goalball [00:16:00] was sort of that, uh, sport that really just, it stuck, uh, even after high school, and to this day it just really called out to me. You know, as someone living with, uh, with a visual impairment, it's, it's sort of like you see, uh, your other family members sort of playing other sports like soccer, football, right?
And you're like, "
Alyssa: Uh,
Manny: you know, I'll play it, but, uh, you know, it's a little difficult. It's a little difficult for sure." So when I step onto that court, it's like I can do this as well as anyone else that's across from me. There's no impairment other than, you know, not putting in the work and taking the steps to be good at this game.
Like, anyone could be good at this game, I feel, regardless of their visual impairment.
Timothy: So Manny, I see you like psychology. What drew you to that?
Manny: You know, it was, it was a couple things. So it was, um, curiosity towards human behavior. You know, growing up I would be told to do stuff, right? But why, you know?
It's just ... So I always had questions. I always had questions. Why? Why are you yelling instead of like, you know, [00:17:00] talking to me in a, in a, like, a lower tone? Or, or why do people laugh at that? Like, why, why is this funny to other people but not to me, you know? Other people have such different experiences, so that obviously impacts how they react to certain stimuli.
So it's just all of that coupled with my desire to help people, help others through their struggles, right? Um, I was always told I was a, a, a good listener, so I, you know, when it was time to make that decision, that was the first thing that I was looking into for my major and stuff like that. It's just, it just
I don't know, it just called to me.
Leslie: So what's the plan now? So where, where are you at now in life, and then what are the goals here in, like, the next five years or so? 'Cause I feel like you're, you're doing so many things.
Manny: It's quite a time. You know, I, I love what I do right now, and I guess what I, what I see myself doing, a few things.
I guess one of them is really, like, I wanna graduate, get my master's. Right now I'm, I'm pursuing a bachelor's in psych, [00:18:00] so I want to graduate by next summer.
Alyssa: Okay.
Manny: And then enroll in a graduate program for a mental health counseling license.
Alyssa: That's amazing.
Manny: Alongside that, I really want to grow the sport of goalball- Yeah
especially in New York, right? We have so many hungry, young athletes, you know, who are like me, right? Kinda looking for that community, that, that sport that's just gonna encourage them to just stay active and, and just engage with people who may go through the same things and, and who want similar things to them.
So, you know, build a, a larger goalball community through NYABA, the New York Association, uh, for Blind Athletes. Um, so, so definitely growing that. You know, I also, you know, I do have, like, aspirations to, to eventually go to the Paralympics or make the, the national team, right? It's just, it's something I'm working towards, but right now I'm, I'm solely focused on growing, on growing the program and just trying to give opportunities to, to all these younger guys and gals.
Um, I'm [00:19:00] seeking to step into that gym.
Alyssa: And it's so nice that you are able to just be not only somebody that's encouraging, but somebody that can say, "Hey, look, I did this." Mm-hmm. "And I wrestled and I did goalball and I did..." You know, and list off these things. And so other than telling them why they, they should do it, what would be your piece of advice for somebody who may be a young person who's blind or low vision themselves, who is interested in getting involved?
I assume you're gonna say, "Just do it." Uh- Maybe you'll say it more eloquently than I will.
Manny: So, you know, the first thing is, if you are already, you know, an athlete at school, stay active, right? If you're, if you're graduating, m- try to find a recreation center, something near you, even at home, right? There, there's so much.
A lot of what I learned through, of fitness was through YouTube, right? YouTube University for me. Yeah. So
Timothy: With
Manny: the cycles. It's a great resource. And, um, so, you know, looking up small, quick workouts and just things to do at home, it's, it's, it's great. So [00:20:00] stay active, right? Or, or if not, you know, really, like, try to, try to dive into that as someone who's interested in, in athletics.
Another thing is consistency, right? Something I learned is consistency, right? You sort of build a routine with her, right? We go out every morning, feed, water, and, you know, w- we have reserve time to play, right? But so it's the same thing with exercise, right? With fitness. Staying active is just finding that time.
You know, whether it's, like, a little, a little chunk of your day, you know, 30 minutes, 20 minutes. Like, I've seen, I've seen workouts of, like, eight minutes is just trying to find that time and just being consistent and staying on it, right? And then find your community. There are so many resources that I can recommend.
So the United States Association of Blind Athletes, usaba.org, they're a great resource for someone who is looking to dive into that space for blind athletics to sort of, one, see all the options that they have- And two, find local clubs that host those sports. So I would say they're [00:21:00] definitely, uh, a good resource.
And then one more is, I believe it's Move United. Their website is, uh, I believe it's moveunitedsport.org, and they're sort of like USABA in the way that they have a network of all these organizations that offer services and, and, and, like, uh, opportunities for, for people who are interested.
Alyssa: It sounds like it's a lot of resources for people that are interested in getting into this, and hearing from you how much you do makes me know that there's plenty of things out there for people to get involved with.
You just gotta find them maybe. So that is such great advice, and we wanted to thank you for coming on, I would say for tiring us out, for talking all about all of the things you do. Um, just trying to comprehend how much you do is, is a lot. But, um, we wanna thank you for taking the time out of your day to sit with us, 'cause we know you could've been working out or exercising or playing goalball.
I also wanted to thank everybody else for joining us today on the Taking the Lead podcast. I'm [00:22:00] Alyssa Otis with hosts Timothy Cugno and Leslie Hoskins. We hope you enjoyed learning about Manny's busy lifestyle, and please join us next time as we continue to dive into the world of blindness.
Leslie: And if you'd like to learn more about applying to Leader Dog, you can head to leaderdog.org or call us at 888-777-5332.
Don't forget, you can reach us at takingthelead@leaderdog.org with any questions or ideas. If you liked today's podcast, make sure to hit subscribe and check us out wherever podcasts stream.