Fort Worth woman competing for world championship in a sport she just learned

Ana Moss, though legally blind, does things many folks with vision can’t. This includes competing for a world championship in a sport she only previously learned.

The 51-year-old Fort Worth native is a part of history as a member of the inaugural United States Women’s Blind Cricket Team. They are competing in the first-ever Women’s Blind T20 Cricket World Cup Nov. 11-23 in New Delhi and Sri Lanka.

“We’re not just playing cricket, we’re making history and opening doors for future generations of women in the U.S.,” Moss said.

Cricket is similar to baseball, originating in England early in the 20th century.

The competition will be broadcast through the official YouTube channel of the Blind Indian Cricket Team.

Women’s National team tryouts

The Women’s National Team of 16 players was formed through tryout camps in New York and California. Moss’ journey, however, was a bit different as she was late learning about the camps.

“I didn’t think they would actually invite me out since I had not been a part of any other camp or tryouts, or any of the national conventions for the blind,” she said.

She reached out to Abey Finklea, who developed the vision for the program with her brother Drew Finklea. They were attending a National Blind Convention when they came across a booth from Samarthanam India/CAB India (Cricket Association for the Blind, India).

“Abey used her voice and social media to get the word out to other women who were interested in going down this journey with her,” Moss said. “I contacted Abey via all platforms and it took a while to hear back from her.”

Then, about a week out from training camp in late July, she got a text from Abey, letting her know that she was indeed approved to try out. Then, in mid-August it became official.

“Getting the call that I had officially made the team was emotional on several levels,” Moss said.

Abey said from the first day on the pitch it was evident that Moss was going to push herself to do whatever it took to make the team.

“She is going to keep pushing herself until she reaches her highest goals,” Abey said. “By the second training camp, she was not only consistently striking the ball when up to bat, but accurately directing them all around the field.”

Overcoming challenges

Moss is not totally blind, but has extremely limited vision. She was diagnosed as legally blind a few years ago.

Also, the same week she came home from camp, she had to have her right eye removed. Her optic nerve was damaged, and the pain was unbearable.

“Removing the eye orbit, automatically relieved the pressure buildup, along with other major issues I had been living with for years,” she said. “I still have not gotten my head wrapped around having to have it removed.

“It’s actually fueled this passion a bit more.”

Moss recalled the day a few years ago when she became legally blind.

“It took me a long time to realize I was stronger than I thought I was, that my friends were not going to leave me because I was blind now, that my family was always going to support me no matter what,” she said. “A sighted person might take a few things for granted. I seem to find beauty in things that most people wouldn’t even notice.”

A few months later, Moss was told she had renal cancer.

“At the time I was diagnosed I weighed in at about 280,” she said. “I had about three weeks to get a grip and have my right kidney removed.”

Suddenly, she had a new drive. Her mind became set on getting healthier.

“Going from the car to the front door of the grocery store took effort,” she said. “I stayed home often because I just didn’t have the energy.”

She promised herself she’d lose weight and become more active. She kept that promise, lost almost 130 pounds, and has more energy than in years.

“This was a major driving force to get on this team — blood, sweat and tears,” she said.

New to cricket

Ironically, Moss has only been playing cricket for a few months.

“I have some natural talent, along with a lot of enthusiasm and heart for the game,” she said. “Every free minute I have now, I’m out training, developing my skills and redefining myself as an athlete at this age.

“If you were to ask me a few months ago if I would be training this hard for something I knew nothing about, I would laugh.”

Her schedule is packed beyond cricket. She has a 9-5 job in finance and a weekend job as a line cook and head of the kitchen team.

There is not a blind cricket team in North Texas, but Moss plans to develop one when she returns from the World Cup games. She trains at CricKingdom in Fort Worth.

“Little did I know that cricket in DFW is a big deal,” she said. “It’s thriving and growing.”

In her younger years Moss ran track, played soccer and was on the swim team at Mansfield High School “back when Mansfield only had one high school.”

However, she calls herself a Panther as she attended Fort Worth Paschal before moving to Mansfield as a senior.

Moss was born and raised in Fort Worth by Mexican immigrant parents. Her father played football and was a swimmer, while her mother was a dancer and cheerleader.

Her husband, Rick, was a professional soccer player in the United Kingdom. Their son George also played soccer and was part of the Liverpool Academy.

Abey said Moss is also great asset to the team because of her leadership skills.

“Both on and off the field, Ana motivates the whole team to push themselves further, building us up and helping us grow into our best possible selves,” she said. “As her captain, it is a relief and a tremendous gift to know that Ana is on my side of the game, always ready to spring into action and build up the team.”

This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 5:00 AM.