CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Davian Robinson grew up with tunnel vision and as he got older his eyesight grew weaker. He only has about 5 percent of his vision left.

  • Despite the setback Robinson is a dance student at UNC Charlotte.
  • Kelly Monette is Robinson's mentor. She's also a dance student and is by Robinson's side when he's in class.
  • Robinson is also an honors student, an award winning para cyclist and he's training for an Iron Man race.

Robinson's retinas never fully developed. They took a turn for the worse in 2015.

Despite the setback, he’s a dance student at UNC Charlotte.

“I would bet that we are the only dance program in the country with a dance major who is legally blind,” said UNC Charlotte Associate Professor Karen Hubbard.

Hubbard admits she didn't know what to do when she found out she was teaching a blind student.

Her idea was to create a dance movement mentor.

Kelly Monette is Robinson's mentor. She's also a dance student and is by Robinson's side when he's in class.

“I have to give him lots of description, lots of touch,” Monette said. “Basically I'm his eyes.”

Robinson isn't just a dancer. He's an honors student, an award-winning para-cyclist, and he's training for an Iron Man race.

“He’s defying the odds and paving the way for other people to come, which is so important because somebody has to go first,” Monette said.

For Robinson eyesight is just a tool. It's what's inside a person that pushes them.

“It's OK if we fall, but are you willing to admit we made this mistake, this wasn't right...and are you willing to make those improvements to go forward and get better,” Robinson said.

It’s a lesson not just for the dance floor.

This Everyday Hero paves his own path and hopefully others one step at a time.

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