A visually impaired couple completes the New York marathon

By Thomas Urban

At the start of the New York marathon on November 3, 2024, Jasmine Murrell, blind, did not see the line of Manhattan skyscrapers or the rows of cheering spectators but she was able to feel the “vibration” of this race out of the usual …

First marathon as a couple

Jasmine’s husband, Kevin Orcel, who suffers from glaucoma more advanced than his wife, also at the beginning, was not very discouraged. “After two or three kilometres, it takes off,” he mocked the man thirty years ahead of the race. Unlike his partner, he was experiencing his first marathon, after 12 half marathons. Coming from New Jersey, Jasmine and Kevin were able to count on the support of two guides from the international Achilles association, the largest organization in the world that supports people with disabilities in endurance races .

Establish a link with your guide

One of Jasmine’s two guides has been training with her for a long time. “It’s important to have that connection, she said. He already knows what to say and the best way to communicate. “ Jasmine, the mother of a young boy named Elijah, can see shadows and shapes out of her right eye, but nothing in her left. Kevin was counting on his supporters to show some of the madness around. “I tell them: ‘Read me the signs’. There are quite a few that are funny and can inspire you too.” “For me, it’s the energy of the crowd, all that encouragement and noise,” explains Jasmine. “I turn that into motivation, so I can also get that rush of adrenaline and excitement.”

“Imitate funny signs, costumes”

“I always ask (runners’) choices before,” says Tianna Biscone, an Achilles volunteer, because, “For some, running is difficult and they prefer to focus on that” and limiting interaction with their guide. But, for contestants willing to talk, she says, “It’s really good, especially at a marathon”, report “the fun panels, the costumes, to help them experience it in a different way.”

The first race towards the unknown “scary”

Participating in a large event that brings together over 50,000 people when you have limited or no vision is a challenge. “When I did my first jog, I was 22 years old and I never went anywhere without my sled. remembers Francesco Magisano, blind and today the director of the New York branch of Achilles. “Running into the unknown was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done,” says the man who has since finished a marathon in 3h30. “It took me a few months of training to get comfortable enough and relax.”

Guide and attendant placed in front

The classic system includes a guide connected by a string to its blind rider as well as a second guide placed a few meters in front to remove possible obstacles and some of them. “Last year I didn’t realize I was tired until the 40th kilometer,” out of 42, remembers Sarah Luposello, also a volunteer for Achilles. “I was so focused on the course, (…) the ground. Is there a hole? A banana skin lying around? A refueling station?” The Achilles branch in New York is by far the largest in this global network, with around 700 runners and 4,500 volunteers.

A unique duo challenge

“I always lose my voice after leading a marathon, because you are always talking to your athlete or asking people to move aside, tells about Tianna Biscone. That’s why I like it so much. It’s a real challenge that you can’t experience running alone.” If the first impression of the blind runner is often linked to anxiety, once the habit is acquired and a relationship is established with a guide, the door to performance opens.

“Just fun, nothing to think about”

“As a blind person, crossing the street may be the most important thing you will ever do,” according to Kevin Orcel. “But being able to run on a road knowing that the lane is protected, (…) it’s very cheap.” “It’s just fun, not thinking about anything, Jasmine Murrell confirmed. I have to run and get to the finish line.”

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