Congratulations go to Richard and Rebecca who at the weekend ran the 5k park run in Simmonds Park, Okehampton to raise funds for Devon in Sight and also to raise awareness of the problems faced by those living with sight loss on a daily basis. Rebecca was guiding Richard around the course as Richard is Severely Sight Impaired.
There were approximately 60 runners of all ages, creating problems from the start. The footpaths were narrow at times with overhanging branches, brambles at waist height as well as being uneven under foot. As a guide, Rebecca found she needed to be constantly alert and tell Richard what was coming up as well as which way to go. Running with one arm behind her back to stay connected with Richard hampered progress and since Richard is considerably taller, they needed to concentrate to keep their pace together.
Once past the halfway mark, they settled into a steady pace and guiding became easier. The weather conditions were fine although it was very hot which was made more intense due to being connected to each other.
A sprint for the finish ended with Richard overtaking his guide and colliding with a building...lesson learnt!
All in all, a fantastic experience and £350 raised for Devon in Sight.
Would they do it again? Of course!!
