By Donald Talonen
Allegan native Tyler Merren is making headlines as he prepares for his fifth trip to the Paralympics, representing Team USA in goalball at the 2024 Paris Games. Despite being diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease as a teenager, Merren’s passion for sports never declined. His dedication and skill have made him a key player on the men’s national team, even at 40.
Tyler was born in Allegan and raised in the Wayland area. He attended high school at Wayland Union and later pursued his education at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo where he earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science.
“I grew up in a family of athletes, and I loved anything to do with sport — anything with a ball, anything you had to jump over or climb up,” he said. “It was always my favorite. As my vision got worse, my ability to play goalball never changed. I could play just based off of my own skill level and my own willingness to put in the work.”
Despite being diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease as a teenager, he has been to the Games five times. His worsening sight has not diminished his passion for sports, and he is determined to continue competing on the big stage.
“Not everybody gets the chance to step on the court with some of the best athletes in the world,” he said. “Not everybody gets the chance to march into the stadium wearing the USA gear with the delegate of USA athletes that have trained their whole lives for this event. It’s a blessing.”
Merren, now 40 years old, is the oldest player on the men’s national team, but the experience and leadership Merren brings are invaluable to the team.
“He’s just so dependable that it doesn’t matter what situation it is,” head coach Keith Young said. “It’s not too big for him. He just goes out there and executes. With Tyler, I can have these conversations like, ‘Hey, Tyler. What do you think? Tell me your reflections. Was this tried in the past, either with our team or other international teams?’”
“They’re certainly in decline now that he’s 40 years old, but such as they remain, he’s strong. He’s quick. He’s fast. He’s smart,” teammate Matt Simpson said. “He really is everything you could want in a goalball player.”
Merren also teaches kids in West Michigan about blindness and goalball at Camp Tuhsmeheta in Greenville.
“I’m from Atlanta, but I had gone up for the sports camp,” Simpson said. “When I found the sport of goalball, I wanted to be Tyler Merren one day. He’s been a role model for me since I was a kid.”
The camps are for both kids who can’t see and kids who can see. Merren teaches visually impaired kids how to overcome certain obstacles and stay active while teaching those who are sighted about interacting with blind kids and about the sport he loves.
“I think it’s a really powerful thing when we can bring these kids in here and not only teach them that they’re more capable than they realize, but just give them a break,” Merren said. “Just let them be kids instead of blind kids.”
Merren is an app developer too. He utilized his knowledge of the human body and exercise to create Revision Fitness. This audio-based fitness app is specifically designed to help visually impaired individuals with their workout routines.
“It’s very, very detailed. Where do you put your hands? How should your hips be lined up? What’s the action movement? How do you make it easier and harder? What are some of the common mistakes?” he said. “A lot of people who are blind and visually impaired like it, but a lot of sighted people do as well, because you can watch a video with push-ups multiple times, but until somebody tells you you need to pull your belly button in and engage your core so that your hips stay tilted back slightly and everything is stable in the middle….It’s hard to see that on the screen.”
Merren’s journey is not only about personal achievement; he also inspires and educates others. He teaches kids in West Michigan about blindness and goalball, helping them overcome obstacles and stay active.
“When you take those challenges and you approach them logically, and you work at them, overcoming them … it’s about what you do with that challenge that’s more important than the actual challenge itself,” Merren said.
The 2024 Paris Paralympics run August 28 through September 8. The goalball medal games are on September 5.
