London Marathon from home
After working for several years as a telephone operator, Eilish became frustrated by the issues faced by so many blind and partially sighted people and set herself a challenge. In 2020 she wanted to prove she couldn’t be defined by her sight loss and decided to run the London Marathon.
To make her marathon dream a reality Eilish reached out to the Vision Foundation and we helped her find a guide runner. Having a sighted guide run alongside her unlocked a new sense of freedom for Eilish, who could enjoy weekly runs in her local park for the first time.
But just as she began to make real progress, the UK entered a national lockdown in March 2020.
Lockdown was incredibly hard for Eilish, who found it increasingly difficult to go outside for exercise due to social distancing. As she spent more time at home, her mental health began to decline.
“In the lockdown, it has been really hard to get out and about…. I’m very much an outdoor person. If I can get out for a decent walk every couple of weeks now, I count myself lucky.” – Eilish
Throughout the lockdown, the Vision Foundation has been there to support Eilish. With accessible online training sessions and regular phone calls, we helped Eilish find new ways to complete her marathon training and overcome the down days she faced during the challenging Covid-19 period.
On 4 October 2020, Eilish celebrated the London Marathon from home with a run on her treadmill and plans to take part in person when it is once again possible. Eilish is thrilled by the boost she gets from training and is using her challenge to raise as much as she can to help other blind and partially sighted people achieve their goals.
We’re so thankful for supporters like you and Eilish, who keep going no matter what the pandemic brings!
To support Eilish, visit her fundraising page here.