BLOOMFIELD, Conn. -- Brian Tinsley said he always wanted to be a mechanic, but when he lost his eyesight, his future was uncertain.
With a lot of training and hard work, Tinsley said, he’s been able to work. He said it’s been a win-win situation for him and his employer.
Tinsley said he listens carefully, making sure the gears are spinning properly. Even though he can't see the bicycles he works on, he said he can hear and feel them.
"I feel I have to do something or I would get bored to death," he said.
Tinsley started working at Bloomfield Bicycle over the summer.
“I have to try twice as hard to keep up with everyone else," he said.
Tinsley was in the Army, stationed in Afghanistan, when he lost his sight. He said he doesn’t remember what happened.
“I don't remember exactly what happened, but it was a gunshot wound that went through my temple,” he said. “The bullet went temple to temple, took my vision."
The owner of the bike shop, Mike Wolf, said he had some reservations about hiring Tinsley, such as whether could he do the work or get hurt. But he said Tinsley not only can do the job, he does it well.
“In fact I tease these guys his assemblies are better than my sighted guys," he said.
Tinsley said he was given a lot of training so he could do things on his own. Whenever he gets frustrated, he said, he realizes he’s not alone.
“To have gone through what Brian has gone through and still laugh and smile, he's truly an amazing fellow," Wolf said.
