MABVI's Team With A Vision Conquers the 2016 Boston Marathon! 

Since 1993, Team With A Vision has competed at the Boston Marathon to raise funds and awareness for the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI). This year's Team was comprised of 67 runners from 5 countries, including competitors in the Visually Impaired Division, their sighted guides, and friends and supporters of the Team.

A photo collage of Team With A Vision runners on race day

Through the dedication of these athletes, our Team not only once again proved that with the right supports, anything is possible, but they raised over $140,000 for MABVI's life-changing network of professional, peer, and volunteer services for the blind or visually impaired.

Our athletes' fundraising pages will remain open until the end of May, and we are almost at our Team goal, so congratulate our Team for their hard work and support our programs with a donation today!

We are currently only $7,318 away from our Team goal of $150,000 - please help us get there! Any amount can change lives.

Every year, our Team With A Vision at the Boston Marathon experience isn't just about a race - it's about the stories and memories that are created. Here are just a few from an amazing weekend.

Four Team With A Vision athletes place in the Visually Impaired Divisions

A photo collage of the 4 Team With A Vision runners to place in their Divisions

This year's Team included two representatives from Mexico, and both dominated the field in the Visually Impaired Men's Division - Gonzalo "Moises" Beristain placed first, and Cristobal Tavera placed third. Both were interviewed by Telemundo Boston after crossing the finish line for a Spanish-language video piece on the network.

Learn more about Cristobal, Moises, and Tim and Mary Green, the Wellesley couple who opened their home to the runners, in this piece from the Wellesley Townsman.

In the Women's Visually Impaired Division, Lisa Thompson placed first, while Jen Herring placed second. This year was Jen's 13th consecutive Boston Marathon, having placed in the top three of her division every time!

Famed blogger and New York Times Bestselling Author Heather B. Armstrong joins the Team as a sighted guide

Team Wheatcroft

Heather B. Armstrong is the founder of dooce.com (twice named by Time Magazine as one of the top 25 blogs in the world), a New York Times bestselling author, and one of Forbes Magazine's 30 Most Influential Women in Media, and this year she added a new title: sighted guide!

Heather guided runner Simon Wheatcroft from the UK, joining fellow first time guide Nicole Perry, who is also a blogger, maintaining the popular fitness, fashion, and lifestyle blog Pumps & Iron.

Team Wheatcroft performed amazingly, helping to guide Simon to a 4:45:08 finish!

What does Heather have to say about her first guiding experience?

"Running the Boston Marathon with Simon and Nicole will always be one of my most cherished memories first and foremost because we worked as a team. The bond and trust that developed during those arduous 26.2 miles is what I will remember most, it's what is most special to me."

Read more on our website 

Marathon Moment: Chris Lancaster gets some extra motivation

Sometimes it's the small moments that highlight the true spirit of the Boston Marathon. At Mile 24.6, runner Chris Lancaster and his guide Brian Bill paused for a moment so that Chris could embrace some very special fans in the cheering section - his wife and two daughters!

Runner Chris Lancaster stops to embrace  his family along the route

 

2016 Blindfold Challenge at the BAA 5k 

On the Saturday of Marathon Weekend, MABVI once again participated in the Blindfold Challenge at the BAA 5k along with our friends at National Braille Press and Perkins School for the Blind! In this annual event, runners compete in teams of two - one blindfolded and one guiding - to raise funds and awareness for one of the participating organizations.

To date our runners have raised $11,000 to support MABVI's programming, and their fundraising pages are still open - support them here.

This year our MABVI runners at the Blindfold Challenge even included a few local media personalities, including Susan Tran of WHDH 7 News and Bob Halloran of WCVB Channel 5!

Susan Tran, blindfolded, runs at the BAA 5k with guide Michelle Becker

 
Thank you to all who ran the Blindfold Challenge for another great year!