10/09/2026
Meet Evan Schwerbrock, The Blind Strength Coach (aka The World's Strongest Blind Man).
Evan is 34. He lost most of his sight in 2014 to Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. A year later he says, “I started using a cane after struggling to get used to things in Chicago. I resisted taking that step big time until my sister walked me over to the Chicago Lighthouse and made me buy my first cane.”
That cane changed everything. It gave him back his confidence and his independence. In his words, "my cane allows me to better access and explore the world, and to act with more independence while serving as a symbol of my invisible condition, and it also leads to many good conversations and interactions. The cane started helping me to thrive instead of just survive and lead to me completing my Master's Degree, helping others around the world and winning the World's Strongest Disabled Man competition.”
He also shared how his cane helped him when he was living alone in Alaska, “it was me and my cane stabbing through the snow out in moose territory hiking to the gym and the grocery store and it was a fantastic time.”
White cane etiquette. Do's & Don'ts.
We asked, what's one thing you wish sighted people knew?
Evan’s answer: Don't. Grab. My. Cane. 🦯
