Last March, a team of 3 highly trained guide dogs led a blind runner to the finish line of the New York City Half Marathon. Guiding Eyes for the Blind is a special school located in the city that trains guide dogs to lead the visually impaired. Runner Thomas Panek is the president of the school as well as a blind athlete. Though Panek completed many other marathons without sight, he had before only used human sighted guides. Labrador retrievers Wesley, Waffle, and Gus trained hard to become the very first team of guide dogs to successfully lead a runner through a crowded race. Guiding Eyes for the Blind in New York has begun an innovative program to train running guide dogs who will empower blind people to run with freedom and confidence. When asked why this historic finish was so important, Panek replied,
“The main reason I did this run was to encourage people to run, no matter what their disability or ability level is, health is important. Running is a very productive way for us all to stay active. if I can run more than 13 miles through the streets of NYC blind, no one has an excuse.” Runner’s World
In other words, with hard work and commitment, anyone can achieve, regardless of disability or starting level.
Thomas Panek running the NYC Half Marathon led by guide dog
Dogs Lead Blind Man to the Finish Line
Video Description: Blind athlete Thomas Panek discusses running without sight guided by specially trained dogs and his journey to making NYC Half Marathon history. Watch the inspiring story here! CBS News