What is courage? According to Jim Hughes, it is “facing life’s challenges - owning them and controlling them and not letting them control you.”

Hughes embodies that definition and is a well deserving recipient of this year’s Medal of Courage Award. 

Blindness from the age of three didn’t stop Hughes from being a leader among his peers in high school, winning matches on the mat, or becoming a nationally celebrated teacher who has inspired countless students. It also hasn’t prevented him from making a plethora of contributions to his community in Long Island - as Vice President of the Farmingdale Federation of Teachers, a Lions Club member, a chaperone for wrestling tournaments, and the coach of numerous clubs at Farmingdale High School - Mock Trial, History, Debate and Peer Mediation. And he’s kept up with athletics as a coach, captain, and player in Beeper Blind Softball. 

While he joked that he began wrestling “with my brothers in the streets of Brooklyn as a kid”, Hughes first officially took the mat in ninth grade upon entering Valley Central High School. 

New to the sport, Hughes said he relied on his teammates and Coach Robert (Bob) Zifchock, “a beautiful soul who wanted me to be successful even more than I did”. He soaked up technique and pointed to the help of many, such as team manager Jeffrey, who walked him on and off the mat for matches, and teammates who picked him up early in the morning or late at night to run for weight cutting. However, after losing a wrestle off, Hughes decided he was finished.

“I walked away, but Coach knew I was coming back,” Hughes said. “It wasn’t in my nature and there’s no quitting in wrestling. No matter what the results are, you keep fighting and improving.”

He certainly improved each year and was very competitive as a senior, when he was elected a co-captain.

“That meant a lot, the sense of the team believing in me because I believed in them,” Hughes said. “Part of my life’s purpose since then is setting a good example - then for my team and now for my students. I wanted to do everything I could to get better and encourage my comrades.”

Camaraderie is something Hughes mentioned often, with wrestling there for Hughes in good times and bad.

“I remember coming home from a Mid Hudson tournament, finding out my brother passed away,” Hughes said. “That wrestling family supported me in a time of need. Being the only blind student in a public school could be lonely, but I fit in with the team - I was one of the guys, going through struggles, triumphs and battles with them.” 

After high school, Hughes went on to academic success at Binghamton University. He knew he wanted to teach upon graduation in 1990, although his vision for his future in the classroom differed from others. 

“Meeting the challenge of being a public school teacher as a blind person was its own wrestling match,” he said. “My student teacher coordinator didn’t think I could be placed in a public school. I said they would have to. That quiet confidence, that internal fortitude you learn from wrestling, was important in that situation. I wanted the challenge.” 

Hughes sent out 100 resumes to public schools and Farmingdale High on Long Island was the only interview he received. It was the only one he needed.

“I could’ve taught the blind easily,” he said. “But I felt I could be an asset in the classroom in a public school. I don’t wear my disability on my sleeve, but I set the example that life has challenges and you can opt out or you can wrestle those challenges - it’s all how you deal with them. I believe students see that.” 

Hughes, an AP US History instructor, is known as one of the best teachers at the school - and beyond.  In 2006, the National Museum of Education recognized him as the Freida J. Reily Award winner, given to “an American teacher who overcomes adversity or makes an enormous sacrifice to positively impact students.”  Two years later, the Harvard Club presented Hughes with the Distinguished Teacher Award. In addition, he was granted Honorary Lifetime PTA membership in 2016 and was featured in a CBS News special in 2012.

Now, yet another honor has been added to his resume. 

“When I got the call [about the Medal of Courage], I was giddy and proud, reflecting back on how important that time in my life was,” he said. “I’m honored with the idea that I’ve served as an example of courage for people.”

Hughes has inspired many, and he recognizes that his journey wouldn’t have been possible without those around him.

“I’m blessed,” he said. “I’m the father of three wonderful children [Sara, Joseph and Emily], I have a wonderful bride [Dianna] and I’ve had so much other support, like from my brother and sister. Of course, Coach Zifchock and my teammates in wrestling played a role in this award. You don’t achieve anything without that kind of love and support.”

Jim Hughes has achieved a lot - an outstanding teacher, a role model, a motivational speaker and now a Medal of Courage winner... who happens to be blind.