A blind runner's life saw a huge change in the form of the Nation's first certified running guide dog, according to Runners World. The pairing is a pilot program to see if running guide dogs can actually be safe helpers for athletes that are visually impaired.
Richard Hunter started losing his eyesight in 1989, when he was a second lieutenant with the U.S. Marines. One of his major fears was not being able to do what he loves most - running. Diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, the condition has left Hunter legally blind with its effects of gradual decrease in vision.
"There were a lot of things I couldn't do anymore," said Hunter. "But I knew I had to focus on what I could do, especially as an example to my three daughters. The Marines taught me to love running, and one thing I could do was run."
When Hunter started participating in triathlons, he used a human guide, which worked well. But one day while bicycle training, both Hunter and his guide collided with a car, and while Hunter was lucky to be alive, he had broken his neck. Within three months, he was back to running races, and nice months post-accident, he ran the Boston Marathon, according to CBS News.
"I did 11 marathons, the Boston Marathon, a 50-mile endurance run and completed the Ironman run with sighted guides," says Hunter. "But after the accident, my family was concerned. My daughter, Lindsey, kept asking: Daddy, when are you going to get a guide dog?"
It was time to look for other alternatives, Hunter decided. His search led him to the non-profit group Guiding Eyes for the Blind.
While they had never trained a dog for a runner, they gladly accepted the challenge and started working with a gorgeous German shepherd named Klinger. Once they felt Klinger was ready, Hunter joined him for three weeks of intensive pair training, and they have been running every day since they came home together on Aug. 23. Hunter feels he has his life back, and Klinger, the silly, playful and brilliant two-year-old, loves his life as well.
"Klinger has made such a huge difference - I'm no longer running off the path and don't have to worry about distracted drivers," Hunter said, according to People. "And he's such a delight to have in our family. We've all become very attached."
Hunter is very proud of the work he and Klinger have been able to achieve, and is now fundraising for the Guiding Eye's Running Guides Pilot Program (in which Klinger was the first graduate) so that others may share what he has been able to achieve thanks to Klinger.
For more information on how you can also give runners the independence they need, click here to help.
"If this program is successful, it is going to create the foundation for other people to follow in my footsteps," said Hunter.
