Blind 'Cool Kid' rides horses competitively

ACTON, Calif.

Taylor Howell lost his eyesight to cancer at a young age. But he has not let that stop him from doing anything, including competitive horse-riding.

"People tell me: 'You can't do this.' You tell me I can't do it and I'm going to go do it just to show you that I can," says Taylor.

Taylor has words of advice for others who face their own challenges.

"You might not do it the same way that somebody that has sight or that has hearing, or whatever the case may be. You might not do it the same way, but there's ways around everything," says Taylor.

Taylor has played football and been part of the baseball team at Vasquez High School. The sports department recognizes this student's exceptional tenacity.

"He's just a very fine young man, and he really is driven," says Charleen Klein, an athletic assistant at the school. "And that perseverance gets him where he wants to be."

No matter the activity, Taylor shows his undying spirit.

"It might be tough the first couple of times that I do it, but it gets easier and easier," says Taylor. "You know, practice makes perfect."

Determination and inspiration make Taylor Howell our Cool Kid.

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