Manchester, NH lawyer Ron Abramson has been a runner
since 2006. Having completed over 25 marathons and ultra-marathons,
Abramson decided to set his sights on a new challenge. On July 18,
2015, Abramson will join 300+ other runners ÛÓ and dozens of horses ÛÓ at
the start of the Vermont 100 Endurance Run, where he’ll tackle his
biggest running challenge to date: 100 miles through the trails and back
roads of eastern Vermont. As if that wasn’t challenging enough, he will
do a portion of it blindfolded to raise funds and awareness for the
Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI).
Having connected with the MABVI’s Team With A Vision a
couple of years ago, Abramson has served as sighted guide to blind
runners from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, California and beyond at the
Boston Marathon, Bay State Marathon, and the 2014 National Blind/VI
Half-Marathon Championships. While realizing that a sighted person can
never truly appreciate the challenges and realities of being blind or
visually-impaired, Abramson plans to cover a portion of Vermont’s
notoriously hilly, twisting course while blindfolded. Abramson’s
14-year-old son Carter and other members of his support crew will serve
as his sighted guides.
“Not sure why just
trying to run 100 miles with both eyes wide open wasn’t enough for me. I
seem to relish adding on little Û¢twists’,” Abramson said. “The nature
of distance running is so solitary and often selfish, that it just makes
sense to turn the actual race into a platform for something greater
than my own goals,” Abramson said. “I now consider many blind and
vision-impaired runners among my greatest inspirations, and closest
friends. Having gotten so much from that wonderful community, I’d like
to give something back if I’m able.”
Abramson’s personal goal is to finish the full 100 miles in under
24 hours, which would earn him a coveted belt buckle, the traditional
award for completing that distance in less than a day. But, his greater
aim is to raise awareness of the challenges faced by the blind and
visually-impaired community, and not just the inspiring athletes, but
everyone who takes on a series of daily challenges. MABVI is the oldest
social service agency in the country providing services to individuals
who are blind or visually impaired, offering services such as low vision
exams, in-home vision rehabilitation, volunteers, and support groups to
individuals with vision impairment.
For more
information and to support Abramson’s run, visit the following links: *
Donation link: https://www.crowdrise.com/vt100formabvi * Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/RonVT100Blind
* Massachusetts
Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired:
http://www.mabcommunity.org/mabvi/home.html * MABVI’s Team With A
Vision: http://mabvi.org/teamwithavision