My Dad does this with adults running marathons; it’s way more involved than just running with someone; the visually impaired person sets the pace so you have to run a marathon while someone else decides how fast to run, while also trying to anticipate their stride a few seconds in advance so you can spot potential hazards then communicate them back to your partner who needs to have absolute trust in you that you are going to keep them from hurting themselves. You essentially end up being a rally car navigator for a person
Plus the need for there to be a physical match is also super crucial and hard to find. Leg/arm length, stride, etc. it’s one of the most beautifully cooperative sports out of necessity.
A reminder to all, Summer Paralympics are coming up. They’re gonna be awesome. The more folks that tune in and support, the better the games will be and the more security they’ll have.
If you’re unaware of the history, Netflix has a great doc called Rising Phoenix that gives a small glimpse into the complexity of obstacles the athletes face and the nature of competition in this world. Highly recommend.
rally car navigator
Samir! You are not listening to my calls!
Triple caution!
Medium left! Meediumm leeffft!
You have to stay on the road!
I beg you
The downhill skiing version is similar. The sighted guide has to shout directions to the blind skier as the team goes down the slope. Helmet radios are permitted, which helps when you’re going fast and the wind gets noisy, but if you use a radio, the blind skier looses the ability to orient themselves by which direction the guide’s voice is coming from.
That sounds terrifying. At least running you have a pretty easy way to come to a safe stop if things are getting dangerous
When the younger kid is in ninth grade, he’s gonna crush his own competition. That’s super impressive what he’s doing. The trust between those two must be enormous.
Um, at the risk of being unwholesome… he has a seeing-eye-human, on a leash.
Well he presumably wants to do it, so at least he gets the choice? He did get the choice, right?
"TF do you mean you signed me up for volunteer work running faster than an athlete five years older than me?
TF do you mean, you already promised him?"
I think that’s still wholesome. Like the best assistance animals, this kid likes the work and is dedicated to it. Hero.
He’s a good boy!
I wonder why he doesn’t use a dog 🤔
Cos dogs can’t run at pace for anywhere near as long as a human can
That things looks like any sprint further than about 10 feet would cause it to drop dead from genetic erosion
Come on low blow… the guy isnt that overweight.
Tell that to my poodle, he smokes me in any distance and starts zooming around the yard when we get home.
smokes me in any distance
What is the longest distance? Humans should be able to endurance hunt pretty much any other animal.
I’m not that good of a runner, but up to 10k is where we’ve gotten so far and it doesn’t even phase him.
It would take a lot more training to get a dog to follow arbitrary race courses. A human can figure out where they’re supposed to turn with minimal guidance.
Dog cant tell you to step left due to a rock
No, he doesnt? You say that as if he had the guy with a leash on the neck, they both have a rope on their hand.
They’re obviously being facetious.
Not unwholesome, very good actually
That is super cool.
When I feel pessimistic about the world it’s kids like this that give me hope. Great story!
Man, this is sad. This kid probably can’t enjoy fast-paced games. Now I want to know how blind play games if they even do.
EDIT: only found video about blind fighting gamer. I guess that counts as fast-paced game.
For most of us who are not disabled it can be difficult to grasp the full extent of how disability can limit the lives of those affected. There are so many things that we take for granted.
