‘Guided runners give opportunity and hope’: Why Whitney R. Foster is running the Boston Marathon
"I vowed that I would always run for a purpose."
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon runners share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. If you’re running the marathon, you can share your story here.
Name: Whitney R. Foster
Age: 33
From: Atlanta, Ga.
The 2022 Boston Marathon represents part of a bigger goal that I set for myself to complete all six Abbott World Majors by 2023.
When I set this goal, I knew earning my place into this prestigious race would not be easy, and I honestly thought it would be the last major marathon that I would attempt to run, but after running the Berlin Marathon in September 2021 my perception and motivation changed.
The Berlin Marathon was where I encountered my first visually impaired runner with a guide. Back in January 2020, I was close to losing vision in my left eye because my retina was starting to detach. I received corrective surgery, coincidentally, two months before I was set to run my first major marathon in Tokyo, Japan.
Unfortunately, running could have contributed to the cause for why the tear grew larger, which was devastating since running is such a huge part of my life. The pandemic derailed my dreams even further, but now since my eye is stable, I vowed that I would always run for a purpose. My purpose for the 2022 Boston Marathon is the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
This organization was founded in 1903 and is the oldest social service agency in the country providing specialized and adaptive services to individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
After seeing, in Berlin, how much guided runners give opportunity and hope to those who may have para-abilities, this gave me stronger motivation to accomplish my goal knowing that no matter what ends up happening with my vision, I will be able to overcome adversity, and keep my running dreams alive with organizations like the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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