2021 London Marathon

[p]I graduated from The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) summer 2020 and was excited to achieve the A level grades I needed for the University of Southampton where I am now based.[/p][p]I had been training hard to run the 40th Virgin London Marathon this October (2020) in aid of Blindcare which supports the education and training of young people with VI but picked up an injury and couldn't complete the race which became a virtual race due to the pandemic.[/p][p]My charity has now managed to confirm my place in the 2021 London Marathon and I will be gradually increasing my running training at uni this year in order to prepare again.[/p][p]Running with a visual impairment means I have to overcome many issues that sighted runners don't have to consider. So accompanying me will be my guide, Tim Broome, prompting me with verbal cues, encouragement and reassurance throughout. [/p][p]The London Marathon is a busy, chaotic and daunting environment for any low-vision runner; the business, rush and sheer excitement of the event differs greatly from my typical and safe running environment. However, my confidence, ability and trust in my guide will all improve as we are able to train together (pandemic-willing). I am excited and determined to overcome any obstacles and want to set an example for other visually impaired runners who share a passion for the sport![/p][p]I hope to raise as much money as possible for the charity Blindcare because one of its main project partners is the RNC. The last Ofsted Social Care Inspection (2018) judged RNC as 'Outstanding' in all areas of its residential provision and my results and next steps to Uni wouldn't have been possible without the support of all at RNC.[/p][p][br][/p]