By: Ashley Eisenmenger

Terms to Know  Athlete – blind or visually impaired person competing in the sport  Guide – sighted person assisting the athlete  Tether – any object that connects the athlete and guide such as a rope, bungee chord, piece of fabric, shoelace, etc.

About Me In this photo I’m with one of my guides after the Houston Marathon. We are wearing medals around our neck and my tether is hanging on my left hip.  Student  Triathlete One Olympic distance Three sprint distance  Endurance runner Marathon finisher Boston qualifier

Sports That Use A Guide  Track and Field  Cycling (tandem bike)  Triathlon  Open water swimming  And more!

Roles AthleteGuide  Takes direction from guide  Advocate for themselves and educate guides on what their needs are  Sets the pace of the event – it is the athlete’s race and they drive the experience  Alerts athlete to upcoming obstacles and obstructions such as potholes, curbs, turning left or right, etc.  Acts as the eyes of the athlete  Alerts athlete to remaining distance, current pace, etc.

Swimming In this photo two athletes stand with their arms around each other waiting to start the swim. The yellow tether is visible around each of our inner thighs. There is a sign that says wave 30 paratriathletes.  Open water vs Pool  Tether at the waist or thigh  Tether is typically 1 meter in length or shorter  Not much verbal communication

Open Water Swimming with a Guide Two women in bright green swim caps are swimming side by side in Lake Michigan. The tether is not visible. The athletes are in synch with the guide closest to the camera and the athlete to the right of the guide. The athlete is slightly ahead of the guide.

Tandem Cycling Pilot – front seatStoker – back seat  Braking  Steering  Gear shifting  Communicates the course layout and cues turns as they approach  Provides power  Sets the pace  Remains sturdy and avoids shifting  Leans in the direction the pilot cues

Tandem Cycling Two women are riding on a tandem bike. Pilot and stoker pedal in synch on a red tandem bike as they ride by a lake on a concrete path. Both athletes have similar body positions and are wearing helmets.

Running  Athletes run tethered to guides  Tether at the waist, wrist, or hand  Tether is varying in length

Running Two women are crossing the finish line of a triathlon. The guide is positioned slightly behind the athlete just as they cross the finish line. The tether is visible, but in this photo the athlete and guide are close enough together that there is not tension on the tether.

Triathlon  Triathlon combines swimming, biking, and running  The same guide is used for the entire race  Typically the guide has to be the same gender as the athlete

It’s More Than Just Exercise and Sports  Promotes self advocacy  Increases confidence  Promotes health and wellness  Self Awareness  Improves communication skills  Encourages socialization  Teaches goal setting

Resources  United States Association of Blind Athletes United States Association of Blind Athletes  Challenged Athletes Foundation Challenged Athletes Foundation  Dare2Tri Paratriathlon Club Dare2Tri Paratriathlon Club  Catapult Catapult  United in Stride United in Stride  Blind Stokers Club Blind Stokers Club