Blindness fails to slow Chandler runner

When it comes to her friend Cindy Rogers, there isn't anything that surprises Mari Brown.

Well, almost anything.

Read Mike Gossie's blog, "Weekend Warriors"

"One day, she was out pushing a car onto a transporter," an incredulous Brown said. "I mean, look at her. She weighs next to nothing and she's pushing a car onto a transporter."

"It was a 1957 Studebaker," Rogers explained. "I couldn't resist."

What's most surprising about the feat isn't that Rogers is 54 years old. And it isn't because of her slight, fit, yoga instructor's build.

It's that Rogers is legally blind.

"She proves to me every day that people can do anything they set their mind to," said Brown.

And on Sunday, Nov. 15, Rogers, of Chandler, and Brown, of Gilbert, will be at Tempe Town Lake competing in the Aflac Iron Girl Tempe Women's 10 Mile and 5K races, proving to the world that being blind doesn't mean that you can't be a competitive runner.

Rogers, whose blindness was caused by retinopathy of prematurity, a disease that occurs in some premature babies, first decided she wanted to become a competitive runner in 2007 when she heard about the Vision 5K in Boston, where blind and sighted participants run or walk side by side.

"I said to myself, 'I want to do that 5K,'" Rogers said.

The race also happened to be the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes' national championship race, which appealed to the competitive side of Rogers.

"At the time, we had become friends because we both took our dogs to Shawnee Park," said Brown. "When Cindy started talking to me about the race, she was training on a treadmill."

Brown, a runner for 35 years, knew that wouldn't cut it.

"I said, 'Trust me to take you out on the road,'" Brown said. "And we ran on the road, on gravel, on dirt. It was important for her to feel the road under her feet. But the trust factor had to be phenomenal."

So the two friends employed a dog leash and keen communication skills to become even faster friends. They run elbow to elbow, stride for stride, each holding an end of the leash to stay connected.

"It's important to listen to each other," Rogers said. "She'll say, 'Banana peel three steps on the left. Palm frond coming up on your right.' And I'm able to avoid those things."

Not that there aren't some close calls.

"I have a real problem remembering to tell her about speed bumps," Brown smiled. "We just get to talking and sometimes I forget."

Watching Cindy Rogers, it's easy to forget that she cannot see the lakes or grass or trees or runners she passes as she runs gracefully through East Valley parks and paths, tethered to the trusted friend who will see her through to the finish line.

"Helping someone else achieve a goal gives you a sense of accomplishment, too," said Brown, who crossed the finish line with Rogers at the 2008 Iron Girl 5K in 39:10, which put Rogers 18th out of 44 athletes in her age group. "But it's also bonded our friendship and inspired me. I look at her and say to myself, 'If Cindy can do this, I can do whatever I want to do.' We're never too old to chase our dreams."

As for Rogers, she said running in races has been "freeing," but she knows the impact of her races goes beyond the self-satisfaction of accomplishing her own goals.

"It's important to me that I show the blind and visually impaired community that this is possible," Rogers said. "But there are a lot of young people out there who are considered different, for whatever reason. I hope they can look at me and see that even if they're different, there are no limits in life. We can do whatever we want to do. We just need to find the courage to try."

Read Mike Gossie’s Weekend Warriors blog at evtrib.com

Rogers' blindness

Cindy Rogers' blindness was caused by retinopathy of prematurity, a disease that occurs in some premature babies. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), also known as retrolental fibroplasia, is the growth of abnormal blood vessels in the retina that generally begins during the first few days of life and may progress rapidly to blindness over a period of weeks. This happens because the eye is rapidly developing during gestational weeks 28-40. The blood supply to the retina starts at the optic nerve at about 16 weeks and blood vessels grow out from there toward the edges of the retina until the time of birth. When a baby is born prematurely, this normal vessel growth stops and new abnormal vessels begin to grow. Over time this vessel growth produces a fibrous scar tissue that attaches to the retina and the vitreous gel that gives the eyeball its shape. If enough scar tissue forms, it can begin to pull the retina, detaching it, and, in some cases, causing blindness.

Watch or run

What: Aflac Iron Girl Tempe Women's 10 Mile and 5K.

When: Nov. 15. Both races start at 8 a.m.

Where: Tempe Town Lake, 54 E. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe

Cost: 10-mile run (2:30 course limit; no walkers allowed). Entry fee is $45 until Nov. 11. Mother/daughter team is $80. Entry fee for 5K is $25 until Nov. 11. Mother/daughter team is $40.

Information: www.irongirl.com