MABVI’s United in Stride Continues to Grow

A few months ago, MABVI and Richard Hunter launched United in Stride, a new online resource to connect sighted guides with runners, walkers, and joggers with visual impairment.

When Hunter, a former Marine and triathlete with visual impairment, decided to run a marathon eight years ago, he didn’t know of any resources to help him.

“I didn’t know a single other athlete,” Hunter says. “I didn’t know any of the organizations that existed to support me.”

Since then, Hunter has devoted himself to fostering and mentoring other athletes with visual impairment in endurance sports.

A runner on MABVI’s Team With A Vision, Hunter joined with us to, along with support from the Gibney Family Foundation, create a resource that would allow anyone in North America to connect directly with a sighted guide, allowing them more freedom and independence. No longer would they have to know other runners or try to find an organization to match them with a guide.

“What we needed to do was come up with a central resource so anybody who contacted us about guiding opportunities or wanted to know how to meet people [to guide them] could come to each other independent of us through the Internet,” Hunter says.

Now this vision is a reality, and United in Stride is helping runners, joggers, and walkers with visual impairment to stay active and healthy on their own terms.

Since its launch, United in Stride has gained over 600 users across North America and continues to grow! United in Stride has recently been mentioned in a number of publications, including Competitor Magazine, the New York Observer, and the Utica Observer-Dispatch.

Whether you are interested in being a sighted guide or would like a guide for yourself, register today at unitedinstride.com to connect with someone near you!