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This Needham native is running Boston for the blind and visually impaired
"My friendship with Nafij has transformed the way I see the world, while in a very literal sense, RP continues to diminish Nafij’s field of vision."
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.
Name: Josh Bard
Age: 41
From: Washington D.C.
In 2023, I signed up for a run club in Washington D.C. and on my second ever workout, I met Nafij Ahmed. Nafij has Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), a degenerative eye disease that has taken most of his vision.
I’ve been a semi serious runner since high school cross-country (Go Needham Rockets!) so when Nafij asked me how many miles I wanted to run with him, I made an assumption and told him I could handle whatever he needed. He laughed and told me he was planning on running three marathons in the next six months and I should be careful what I wished for.
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Not merely in terms of mileage that evening, I got so much more than I wished for. Nafij and I became fast friends and medium-fast runners. In 2024, we trained together and ran the Boston Marathon side by side, where I served as his visual guide. We were brothers from another mother, religion, and culture, each learning from the other during long runs through D.C. and night runs under track lights, because Nafij was observing Ramadan.
I couldn’t run with him last year because I was becoming a father, and this year I am running alone, my first solo marathon, raising money for Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. MABVI offers rehabilitation, counseling, support services, and so much more for those experiencing vision loss. People like Uncle Nafij.
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My friendship with Nafij has transformed the way I see the world, while in a very literal sense, RP continues to diminish Nafij’s field of vision. I can’t restore his sight, but raising money for MABVI, which empowers individuals experiencing vision loss to continue to lead their fullest lives, makes every step of 26.2 miles worth it.
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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