Visually Impaired Runner to Compete in Vancouver Island Mother’s Day 10K
Harlow will run the 10K alone with a modified walking stick to promote blind abilities and highlight unemployment rates among visually impaired people.
- On Sunday, Richard Harlow competes in the Oceanside Mother's Day 10K in Qualicum Beach without a sighted guide, relying solely on his adaptive techniques and modified equipment.
- Harlow lost 90 per cent of his vision to Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, a rare disease affecting between one in 30,000 to one in 50,000 people in Canada.
- "I virtually listen to my surroundings," Harlow said, tracking other runners' movement while his six-foot carbon-fibre walking stick with a wheel helps him detect elevation changes.
- Beyond racing, Harlow serves on the City of Nanaimo's Accessibility and Inclusion Committee, aiming to motivate visually impaired people and increase awareness of blind abilities.
- The 37-year-old previously completed the Bastion 12K earlier this year without a sighted companion, demonstrating consistent ability to overcome significant physical challenges independently.
4 Articles
4 Articles
Sooke News Mirror
Visually impaired runner to compete in Vancouver Island Mother’s Day 10K
Richard Harlow is virtually blind. He lost 90 per cent of his ability to see due to a rare disease known as Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, which affects somewhere between one in 30,000 to one in 50,000 people in Canada. It left him with only peripheral vision, which he uses to get around. “I can’t see faces or read signs. I can’t even see past a few feet in front of me because of all my central vision being gone,” said Harlow. Harlow still d…
Visually impaired runner to compete at Oceanside Mother’s Day 10K
Richard Harlow is virtually blind. He lost 90 per cent of his ability to see due to a rare disease known as Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, which affects somewhere between one in 30,000 to one in 50,000 people in Canada. It left him with only peripheral vision, which he uses to get around. “I can’t see faces or read signs. I can’t even see past a few feet in front of me because of all my central vision being gone,” said Harlow. Harlow still d…
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