Saturday 22nd June 2019
Report written by Liv Parker-Scott
Throughout the day 13 GoodGymers came along to share their Saturday with visually impaired athletes competing at this years Metro Blind Sport Athletics Open.
Most of us had no previous experience of helping athletes with a visual impairment but everyone was really keen to get involved, to help and to learn.
A large contingent started their day with nearby Mile End parkrun before heading to Mile End Stadium to contribute to the morning session which was labeled as the 'Come and try' part of the day. This is where younger participants and those new to competing could come and have a go at new events they hadn't tried before. Led by the amazing Coach Chris, we learnt how to support visually impaired atheletes with track running and long jump events.
I had a great time and really enjoyed doing something so different and rewarding - Dharmesh, GoodGym Redbridge
Later accompanied by Tracey, superstar Jodie stayed for the whole day and continued to support through the main event. My highlight of our time there was when an urgent plea late in the day (for a runner who was able to run a sub 22 5000m!) saw Hayley head all the way across London to guide a runner to a championship qualifier. What a hero!
24th June - 30th June is #DeafblindAwarenessWeek and it was great to partner up with Metro Blind Sport to provide support for this event leading into this week's theme.
What a wonderful experience to be a part of!
Metro is a London-based charity; their aim is to open doors to sport for all vision impaired people, regardless of age or sporting ability.
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It's the first of our Saturday sessions!