In the last month of 2013, I was assigned my favorite editorial shoot of the year. For The Wall Street Journal, I spent a day with Amy Dixon, a visually impaired sommelier and triathlete; Lettie Teague wrote a great column about Amy's career as a retail wine consultant in Connecticut.
Amy is training for several championship competitions next year, including the USA Paratriathlon National Championship and the PATCO Triathlon Pan American Championships. Points from these races could qualify her to represent the US in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio! Follow her progress on her blog, The Blind Sommelier.
Amy Dixon, a visually impaired sommelier and triathlete, puts on her swim cap before a light swim workout at the YMCA at Greenwich in Greenwich, Connecticut, Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013. Her Guiding Eyes for the Blind guide dog Elvis stays close by.
Amy gets kisses from her guide dog Elvis.
Amy changes to bike gear for the next portion of her workout.
Amy trains on the bike. During each of her workouts, she trains for two of the three portions of the triathlon. In actual competition, she'll complete a 750m swim, a20k bike race, and a 5k run.
Amy tests wines at Nicholas Roberts Fine Wines in Darien, Connecticut, where she works regularly. When a sommelier smells a wine, she's looking for flaws, said Dixon. "You're looking for what makes the wine tick," she said.
Amy has memorized where certain bottles are stored at the shop. She is planning to open a wine bar in Connecticut, but is still looking for the location. The bar will be called The Wine Lab, inspired by Elvis and her early training as a pharmacy student.