Summit's Lauren Oplinger Will Participate in 24-Hour Bike Ride

Lauren Oplinger's story isn't that far removed from the story of some other successful Summit residents. She was a championship level athlete in hockey and soccer. She graduated college with degrees in math and economics. Also, Oplinger makes her living working for a major New York financial firm.

But the thing that makes her most unique — and is a testament to her grit and spirit — is that fact she's been able to make her mark on Wall Street without the use of eyesight. Oplinger became blind in 2009 after being struck with a life-threatening infection that damaged her optic nerves. 

Despite the odds, she's kept a job at JP Morgan even through her illness, and was promoted. Oplinger has even become a bit famous in her own right.

Keeping with her athletic background, Oplinger will participate in a 24-hour bike ride through New York City this week, hitting all five boroughs. She'll team up with another bike rider who has sight. The event isn't just an endurance test, but a benefit ride for Lighthouse International’s Double Up 4 Vision Tandem Bike Ride. The ride is part of a fundraiser for the vision loss organization.

This is the second time that Lighthouse International has held this event.