{"id":89,"date":"2021-07-28T09:28:15","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T09:28:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/?p=89"},"modified":"2021-08-04T12:26:34","modified_gmt":"2021-08-04T12:26:34","slug":"a-lesson-i-learned-being-a-guide-runner-to-the-specially-abled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/2021\/07\/28\/a-lesson-i-learned-being-a-guide-runner-to-the-specially-abled\/","title":{"rendered":"A Lesson I Learned Being A Guide Runner To The Specially Abled"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Your Limitation Is Only In Your Imagination<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff5f13;\"><b>\u201cThe mind is everything. What you think, you become.\u201d &#8211; Buddha<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amidst the chaos of corporate life, running took a place so close to my heart that it started to become an inseparable part of my life. One thing led to another and in no time I found myself becoming a part of running teams. I connected with a lot of like-minded people and we ran together at different events. While this became a ritual, I came across a social cause of being a guide runner to visually impaired runners.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-101 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"611\" height=\"436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/3.png 611w, https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/3-300x214.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 611px) 100vw, 611px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A fellow colleague, who was running this <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/guiderunnersindia\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">community<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,\u00a0 got me hooked to being the guide runner to the visually impaired runners who were a part of a school and had taken up running as a sports activity. My job was to guide these joyful runners to run on the streets of the city safe and secure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I actually thought that I would be giving a helping hand to these runners but turned out I couldn&#8217;t be more wrong. The moments of inspiration that I derived from these wonderful humans were plenty and to date, I think of them when I need a little more push to get over the pain. Even though the journey was not easy, I cherish each and every moment of it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-103 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/4.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"554\" height=\"424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/4.png 554w, https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/4-300x230.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 554px) 100vw, 554px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-104 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/5.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"543\" height=\"687\" srcset=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/5.png 543w, https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/5-237x300.png 237w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 543px) 100vw, 543px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being a guide runner was technical. I had to undergo a couple of training sessions. I did mock runs with the runners and it helped me get started. You are either bonded by a scarf or a band of cloth or you run hand in hand. While you are bonded to them, you become their eyes and that is where communication becomes the key as you can help the runners with insights into what is around them. Straight road, right turn, left turn, keep right, slow down, hydrate now, how much more to go, hurdles in the path, and a gentle nudge here and there is all that was needed to keep these runners comfortable and motivated. A word of caution here. There could be times when you do not gel with your runner and that is ok too. All you need to do is find each other\u2019s comfort level and together embark on a journey of revelation and enlightenment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-105 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/6.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"564\" height=\"419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/6.png 564w, https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/6-300x223.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 564px) 100vw, 564px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-107 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/9.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"472\" height=\"743\" srcset=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/9.png 472w, https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/9-191x300.png 191w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 472px) 100vw, 472px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So after completing my training sessions, my journey as a guide runner to the visually impaired runner began. I attended many events and was tagged along with a few of the best runners. The best moments were definitely the Podium finishes when you take all the pride in being a crucial support system. I was blessed with the chance to run with different runners and they proved to me that nothing is impossible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Braille medal I won is one of the most cherished ones in my collection of medals and it keeps reminding me of the priceless feat and unlimited life lessons I learned in this journey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Braille is a form of written language for blind people, in which characters are represented by patterns of raised dots that can be felt with the fingertips.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-100 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"548\" height=\"733\" srcset=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/2.png 548w, https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/2-224x300.png 224w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 548px) 100vw, 548px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With time, we caught up momentum and onboarded many guide runners. This worked both ways as it boosted up the morale of the runners as well as the institutions and made the guides happy to be associated with such a beautiful cause.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I was awarded the fastest guide runner and was honored by the institute for my contributions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-106 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/7.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"490\" height=\"393\" srcset=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/7.png 490w, https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/7-300x241.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 490px) 100vw, 490px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>\u00a0\u201cWe make a living by what we get, We make a life by what we give!\u201d &#8211; Anonymous<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I never thought that my passion for running would present an opportunity where I would be able to give back to society.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The guide running team is now a big family and is doing wonders. It leads by a responsible citizen and you can know all about it here \u2013<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/guiderunnersindia\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/guiderunnersindia<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/guiderunnersindia\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/instagram.com\/guiderunnersindia<\/span><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-102 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/8.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"488\" height=\"680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/8.png 488w, https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/8-215x300.png 215w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 488px) 100vw, 488px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a part of the RunMonks community we wholeheartedly salute Yuvraj Patil for standing up for this cause and resonating with the thought of &#8211;\u00a0 <\/span><b>Your Limitation Is Only In Your Imagination\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and being the catalyst in driving such initiatives and giving a new lease of life for such runners to break free and feel liberated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RunMonks a platform powered by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/505circle.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">505 Circle <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0created by <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/kushagrasharma-505circle\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kushagra Sharma<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is proud to be associated with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/yuvarajp07\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yuvraj Patil<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for being the flag bearer of our philosophy of <\/span><b>\u201cServing Others\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 and <\/span><b>GETTING INTO THE\u00a0<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/\"><b>#ZENMODE<\/b><\/a><b>\u00a0&amp; TO BE THE\u00a0<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/\"><b>#RUNMONKER<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your Limitation Is Only In Your Imagination \u201cThe mind is everything. What you think, you become.\u201d &#8211; Buddha Amidst the chaos of corporate life, running took a place so close to my heart that it started to become an inseparable part of my life. One thing led to another and<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":98,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogs",""],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":232,"href":"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/89\/revisions\/232"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=89"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/run-monks.com\/media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=89"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}