In a historic moment for the United States bobsled team, Steven Holcomb piloted bobsled USA-1 to the Olympic gold medal in the four-man event, ending a 62-year Olympic medal drought for the American. Holcomb’s heroic mastery of the treacherous track is made even more significant by the fact that not long ago, he had 20/500 vision — “profound visual impairment” caused by keratoconus– that very nearly ended his bobsledding career. Contact lenses could no longer provide the level of visual acuity required for Holcomb to compete. Finally, with the help of U.S. bobsled coach Brian Shimer, he was deemed a good candidate for the Visian ICL. Holcomb said. “I couldn’t wear contacts the day of the surgery, so they literally had to walk me around the room. And then they did it, I got up, and just like that, I was 20/20. It’s incredible. I call it an eye-opening experience.”

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