Race Report from a Blind Athlete

I usually take part in the event by guiding blind athletes, but for this race I chose to be a handler for a blind athlete who is 68 years young! The best take aways were meeting other visually impaired athletes, guides, and handlers, who make up a unique community that gives of themselves to help others achieve their goals by lending their sight and time. 

Claudia Spooner, Myra's guide flew in from Austin the day before the event. Now that shows dedication! I was on call 24/7 as Myra's handler. I volunteer guiding athletes also through the C Different Foundation. The C Different Foundation is located in Littleton, Colorado. I encourage anyone from Fleet Feet to try guiding once. It may gives you a different perspective about yourself. 

Thanks for reading a race report that is not strictly about Fleet Feet, but rather about what I do in our community for others. -  Deb Conley

Myra's Race Report - A Blind Athlete from Flying in from Canada to Race in the Denver Triathlon

Before the Race: Me, Myra Rodrigues, Claudia Spooner 
 

"I had a wonderful time and want to congratulate Matt Miller and Chris Laskey and everyone involved in the Expo and race day organization. Also, a big "Thank You!" to my awesome triathlon guide, Claudia Spooner, and Deb Conley, the perfect and patient host who met my seven-&-a-half hour late flight at the gate, no less, at 1:30AM Saturday morning - even the airline crew and ground staff were amazed that she was able to do that!  Deb so kindly looked after me and a zillion details throughout the weekend - what an absolute angel! Thank you, Matt, for linking us up!"

"On race day we arrived at the gathering place at 5:00 a.m., and getting the tandem to Sloan's Lake and T1 on the shuttle turned out to be a surprisingly simple matter. This was the first time I did a long swim without a wet suit, and absolutely loved it! The bike portion was challenging and fun - Claudia handled the two 180 tight turns beautifully - not an easy matter with an 8 foot long  tandem. The final 5 k run/walk included a few dips under over-passes which provided nice relief from the heat.One thing that really impressed me was the encouragement and cheers from so many of the participants - what a positive and good natured lot of folks!"

A few things Myra learned:

1. Bar ends are a must - bikes were pulled from T1 if bar ends were missing. This is to avoid potentially serious injury in the event of a crash.    
2. Having less stuff to deal with at transitions can save a lot of time. She suspected this, so only took the bare minimum and that really did make things much easier. 
3. Using a camelback for hydration during the bike portion made it possible for her to be really well hydrated for the run - this was really essential given the heat on race day.

Unfortunately, Mrya wasn't able to attend any of the social events because of time limitations - hopefully next time!  And, she is looking forward to next time, and wants to work on her swim skills. Because of knee issues and pending surgery her running days are over, so not much hope of improving in that area!

"Hey, loved the finishers medal and the event T-shirt and proudly wore them home on the plane! And the award plaque is cool!"

"Thank you C Different for a terrific inaugural tri event, and for making it not only possible but comfortable for those of us without vision to participate IN THIS VERY INCLUSIVE EVENT!"

Myra

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." Helen Keller

She won her division and also AG against able bodied!