Tracy Minish

Tracy says:
"My reason for running is complex and it is hard to put “heart” on paper. I believe Team With a Vision is all about allowing visually impaired and blind people the opportunity to live a fulfilling purpose-driven life. The key is to give us the tools so we can be contributors (level the playing field). I started running marathons in 1992, but stopped in 2005 because my sight had degraded to the point where I was falling too often and was worried I might trip another runner. In my last race, I fell 6 times so I decided to hang up the Nikes. This made my wife and kids very happy.

In 2010 I decided I was ready to give it another shot. It is hard to take the marathon out of the man. I sent an e-mail to the Houston Marathon Committee for the 2011 marathon to see if they knew of any runners interested in “coming along side” another runner for a 26.2 mile journey. They introduced me to C Different, an organization that helps visually impaired/blind athletes participate in triathlons and marathons. The rest is history and it has been a wonderful adventure.

I see Team With a Vision as an enabler, giving everyday people the opportunity to compete, set goals, work and make dreams come true. I am blessed to have the opportunity to run the 2012 Boston Marathon and could not without Team With A Vision and The Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. A couple of verses that help me are “will soar on wings like an eagle; run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint” and “when we are weak, then we are STRONG.” The next quote is from the movie Braveheart, “All men die, but few men ever really live.” Running the Boston Marathon, pushing ourselves to the wall and beyond, helping others along the way, is “living.” I learn something about myself in every stinkin’ marathon, but still can’t figure out why keep coming back, especially around mile 20? Ha!"

Watch a ABC video and "Running Without Seeing" to learn more.