By Eve Graves

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Two years ago, 67-year-old Richard Hoeg’s silent sports life as he knew it took a sharp curve when he became technically blind. Unfortunately, it took biking into a tree for him to realize he needed to see a doctor.

Hoeg, is a native of Duluth, Minnesota. College years brought him to Dartmouth, where he was on a successful rowing team. He migrated to the University of Rochester, next to New Jersey, on to the Twin cities, before relocating back to his Duluth origins.

Despite a football and baseball high school/collegiate life, in addition to his time on the high school Nordic ski team, Hoeg has been an avid and successful silent sports participant for numerous decades, biking and Nordic skiing his favorites.

Yearly trips to the Birkie and Mora, along with smaller races, comprise his Nordic repertoire. Month-long bike tours to Europe and across the United States with his wife, Molly, have provided the couple with many exciting adventures over the years.

Hoeg is also an amazing nature photographer, specializing in owls, and an author of children’s books. Volunteering as a naturalist at the Sax-Zim Bog is also part of his love of the outdoors.

Biking Blind

With over 11,000 miles of self-supported bike tours throughout North America and Europe with Molly, Hoeg had no thought of an unexpected and serious crash. Eyelids unwilling to open, he veered on his bike and tipped. Two fractured ribs resulted, but Hoeg was determined and finished the sixteen days, his wife behind him, yelling if he began to swerve. A guardrail was his savior in avoiding another serious crash during this adventure.

Richard Hoeg cycling in the Norwegian Arctic, August 2019. During the trip, Hoeg suffered a broken rib from a fall, but was otherwise okay, and kept on riding. Photo by Molly Hoeg. (Click on image to enlarge)

Squinting, increased blinking, and dry eyes were the only symptoms he noticed. Upon returning home from their Norwegian biking trip, Hoeg knew he needed help due to the rapid decline in his ability to see.

Three months of eye exams finally landed him with one of Minnesota’s top eye doctors, who diagnosed Blepharospasm—Hoeg’s brain was sending signals to his eyelids, forcing them to close for thirty minutes up to three hours, leaving him functionally blind during that time.

Being an avid trail runner, attempting to continue his silent sports activities while unable to see for two months, Hoeg ran into a tree, knocking himself over, and tripping over snow banks.

Hoeg’s need for silent sports led him to the pool. Lane floats guided him, and warm air helped his dry eyes and lessened the depression creeping in over the loss of all he loved to do. Qigong, which I introduced him to, has also helped him relax as well as mentally stabilize from his life-changing diagnosis.

The “Cure”

Medical Botox has given Hoeg his sight back by paralyzing his eyelid muscles and blocking the brain signal to close them. Every two months, he travels to the Twin Cities to receive the injections, and will likely need them for the rest of his life.

Yet Hoeg is thankful. “I’m back cycling and skiing,” he said. “Every morning, I go hiking with my camera. My vision isn’t perfect, but I’m a glass-is-half-full kind of person.”

Even with the injections, his eyes can still get tired, so he has to rest them. Bright light can also affect them, and he wears special glasses crafted just for him.

Thankful Thoughts

Richard Hoeg on an early season ski at Snowflake Nordic, November 2015. Photo by Molly Hoeg. (Click on image to enlarge).

Family has been amazing during this journey. He credits Molly, her love and caring, leading him around by his arm, getting him through this.

“Never give up,” he advised. “Don’t compare the present with the past. Many patients with my condition are depressed because they aren’t able to have eyesight like before the condition struck them down. I’m an optimist by nature.”

This disease is rare, has no cure, and there was nothing he could have done to prevent it from affecting him. Looking back, Hoeg said he should have sought medical help earlier instead of letting a bicycle crash dictate his desperate need for a diagnosis.

Treatments will allow Hoeg to fulfill his goal of enjoying the beauty of nature and silent sports, for as long as he is still breathing.

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