Hello, my name is Joseph Bellantoni. On July 9, 2007, I was in a catastrophic car accident that changed my life. On the day of the accident, emergency personnel attended to my many injuries, which included a crushed face and severed tongue, a punctured lung, severed limbs, fractured vertebrae and broken ribs. At the scene of the accident I went into respiratory arrest twice, and was placed into a medically induced coma after my surgeries.

Unfortunately, due to complications sustained in the crash, I awoke from the coma unable to see. Using my disability as motivation I decided to be strong for my family and began exercising every day. Walks quickly evolved into short runs, and in September 2008 I completed my first race, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer walk.

Since then I have competed numerous foot races, marathons, bike races, triathlons and an Ironman. Inspired by my situation, my family and friends are now starting a nonprofit organization called the Blind Ambition Coalition, an organization designed to help advance independence, productivity, and confidence of people like me with disabilities.