NYC Man Becomes First Legally Blind Person To Complete Half-Marathon With Only Dogs

Here’s an amazing story coming out of New York, about a legally blind man by the name of Tom Panek, who is legally blind, and his guide dog, Gus.

When Tom was in his 20s, a genetic condition caused him to lose his sight, which he described to NBC as “Basically like seeing the world disappear in front of you”

One of the things he really missed about being fully sighted was running. Although Tom soon learned to run with human guides, he longed for more independence.

Thomas Panek made history at the NYC Half Marathon today, becoming the first blind runner to complete a half marathon with a canine companion.@KristenDahlgren shared this story this week on @NBCNightlyNews. pic.twitter.com/i2c4xeZwpC

— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) March 17, 2019

This is where he had an idea – dogs love to run, so why not take his guide dog along for the ride?

“It never made sense to me to walk out the door and leave my guide dog behind when I love to run and they love to run,” he said. “It was just a matter of bucking conventional wisdom and saying why not.

Tom and his guide dog Gus took to it really well, and made a great team, which made Tom want to encourage others to do the same.

A big thank you to our friends at @NYRR for their support and accommodation which makes today's #UnitedNYCHalf marathon for Thomas and the relay of running guide dogs a reality. pic.twitter.com/mAYaKiw3EK

— Guiding Eyes (@GuidingEyes) March 17, 2019

Tom is president and CEO of Guiding Eyes For The Blind, and in 2015, Mr Panek established the Running Guides programme, which trains dogs to support runners. It

Although Tom has achieved a lot already, this week saw him facing his biggest challenge yet – becoming the first legally blind participant to complete a half-marathon, assisted only by dogs.

This would be some challenge, so he needed to make sure he had his best friend by his side. Along with Gus, his full-time guide dog, Mr Panek chose siblings Waffle and Westley to join them. He says there’s good reason for choosing these dogs in particular.

“The bond is really important. You can’t just pick up the harness and go for a run with these dogs,” Mr Panek told CNN. “You’re training with a team no matter what kind of athlete you are, and you want to spend time together in that training camp.”

We found him!!! pic.twitter.com/Rom9mK29dF

— Lydia S. Hu (@LydiaHuNews) March 17, 2019

The dogs took it in turns, with each of them setting their own pace – Westley runs an eight minute mile, while his sister Waffle can cover the same distance in six minutes. Of course, it was his best pal Gus who was chosen to accompany him for the final leg of the race.

Each dog wears a special harness and set of running boots, to protect their paws. I know – so cute!

Tom finished the race, while being cheered on by onlookers who had heard his story on social media. It’s an incredible achievement, and what makes it even more emotional is that Gus retired from his duties as a guide dog at the end of the race.

“It’s a little emotional for me because he’s been there with me the whole time,” Mr Panek said.

It really is amazing what dogs can do, and the amount of dedication they show to their owners. And what an achievement by Tom! As the man himself says, “If you have a disability, there are really no limits”.

Enjoy your retirement, Gus. We wish Tom and all the dogs at Running Guides all the best for the future!

If you’d like to donate to Tom’s organization Guiding Eyes For The Blind, you can do so here.

 

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