Blind Paraclimber's Global Push Before Vision Loss

0:00It's April 17. You're listening to California News today, AI-powered local news. Berkeley's Riyan Hassan Muhammadi, a 45-year-old parachlimber, is gearing up for the World Climbing Paracerees. He's set to represent the United States at five international events this year. But he's not just facing top athletes, he's racing against Retinitis Pigmentosa, a condition that's already made him legally blind, and will soon take, his site completely. He switched from soccer stardom in Iran to climbing after his diagnosis in high school. This year alone, he grabbed second place at both the U.S. Nationals and Canadian Nationals, proving he's elite in paraclimbing. His family's back in Iran amid rising tensions with the U.S., so phone calls home are tough and rare. He checks if everyone's safe, which hits hard while he's pushing through intense training. Right now, he's eyeing sponsors to cover the $50,000 needed for travel and competition costs. A GoFundMe is live to help fund his global push.

1:02This weekend in Reno, he'll hit a regional event to sharpen up. With his vision window closing fast, Muhammadis locked in to climb as high as he can before it's gone.