Born with a juvenile form of macular degeneration called Stargardt's disease characterized by the gradual loss of the central vision, Aaron would eventually learn in the fifth grade that life was about adjusting to circumstances. As a young boy with his site deteriorating and doctors not knowing the cause, Aaron would need his parents to read to him so he could complete his homework assignments, have sheet music enlarged so he could continue to play in the band, and quit his travel soccer team when it became too difficult for him to see the ball.

After finally being diagnosed with Stargardt's disease by the Kellogg Eye Center at the University of Michigan, Aaron would have to continue to adjust as he lost his friends in high school and became vulnerable to practical jokes. He battled depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. A varsity athlete at Farmington High School in swimming, cross country, and track, Aaron continued his athletic pursuits and competed in his first triathlon after his junior year in high school.

After that experience, his life changed forever because of the exhilaration he felt from the challenge of competing in such a demanding race. Now a 21-year-old kinesiology major at Michigan State University, Aaron has competed in over 60 triathlons in his career and nine during the past year competing against able-bodied racers. In 2003, he was named USAT All Mid-East Regional Honorable Mention and USAT/PC Athlete of the Year nominee. In 2003, he also won the International Triathlon Union's World Championship for the second consecutive year placing first in the athletes with disabilities category.

In 2004, he was awarded the Judy Gentile Award for Spirit of Ability to Succeed and will graduate from MSU in December where he has maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout his entire academic career. He became a member of the C-Different Triathlon Team, a four person team where each athlete is legally blind and races with a guide who they can sight off of. As a member of the C-Different Team, he has already started to travel the world to pursue his athletic dreams. He is president of the MSU Triathlon Club, a member of the Campus Crusade for Christ, and volunteers with physical therapists at Ingham Regional Physical Therapy.

Aaron was nominated by Virginia Martz, Blindness, Visual Impairment, and Mobility Specialist at Michigan State University, who wrote: "Not only does Aaron exemplify the essence of maximizing ability and opportunity, but he views his disability as secondary to everything in his life. He is first and foremost an accomplished athlete and student who approaches challenges in life with a twist."

Congratulations Aaron!