Angela Blackwell, 56, of North Petherton in Somerset, took on the challenge to raise money for Guide Dogs as a tribute to her guide dog Flynn.
Diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa around five years ago, Angela is now registered blind and uses guide dog Flynn to help her navigate around independently.
“Flynn is my superhero, he has restored my confidence and blows my mind at his eagerness and ability to guide me anywhere and everywhere,” said Angela.
“He'll be having a well-deserved rest whilst we run 2 lots of 26.2 miles.
“I will forever be indebted to Guide Dogs for bringing him in to my life, restoring my independence and bringing a smile to everyone he meets.”
“He has transformed my life. He has restored my confidence and that's led to me running marathons.”
Angela ran both races with guide runner Victoria Graimes, and her husband David Blackwell also took part. Angela finished both runs in just over 5 hours.
“Vicky and I meet at art college 40 years ago but we only started running when we were about to turn 50. [We] ran the London Marathon for the first and only time until now,” said Angela.
“The Guide Dogs cheer point at mile 23 was the best it really spurred us on [during] the most painful last bit. And the massage and lunch afterwards was so appreciated!”
The team raised an incredible £2,000 for Guide Dogs. You can contribute to Angela’s fundraising page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Team-Guide-Dog-Flynn
Somerset-based Angela has been working as an artist and curator for over 30 years. She has recently made a short documentary film about what it’s like to lose your sight as a visual artist.
