Heartland soccer player overcomes vision condition

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) - TK Ayers is a senior at Cape Central High School. He played varsity soccer for the Tigers.

At a young age, TK was diagnosed with Nystagmus, a condition that causes involuntary eye movements.

Doctors told him and his parents he wasn’t going to be able to play sports.

TK took that as a challenge and now is preparing to play soccer for Illinois College.

It’s a vision that didn’t seem possible at once.

“They were telling us he couldn’t play sports,” said Packy Ayers, TK Ayers’ father.

He set his sights on excelling at soccer.

“I was just going to let 'em talk and go out and do my thing, prove them wrong,” he said.

It’s TK Ayers’ own eyes that tried to keep him from his ultimate goal.

“I couldn’t judge when the ball was in the air,” Ayers said.

TK can’t tell where a ball will land, but one of his many ways to adapt in soccer is to use his sense of hearing and touch to tell where players are and set himself up to make a play.

“Heart of gold and goes after everything with passion," said Packy Ayers.

The passion never left TK even when the dream of his soccer career started to blur.

That vision’s now a reality.

TK Ayers is finishing his senior season at Cape Central and will play for Illinois College this coming school year.

“I got to thank God for giving me the heart and determination," said Ayers.

A scene once seeming impossible, TK never saw it that way.

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