Visually impaired to run in marathon

The Pt Brunei Marathon, which will be held on December 11, 2005, is only three and a half months away and has sparked interest in many of the nation's running enthusiasts.
One such enthusiast is Noralizulrainee Ali Yusop, a visually-impaired student from the Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD).

Apart from holding the position of vice-president of the local Brunei Darussalam National Association for the Blind (BDNAB), Noralizulrainee is also a part-time employee of Standard Chartered Bank (SCB) and local ambassador for SCB's "Seeing is Believing" initiative.

In preparation for the gruelling run, Noralizulrainee is currently training diligently with his running partner Henry Lu, a colleague from SCB who will also be taking part in the 1st Brunei Marathon. Both Noralizulrainee and Henry will be taking part in the 21 km category.

Being visually impaired does not stop Norali from currently undergoing training three to four times a week.

He runs in unison with Henry, where they are connected together with a foot-long tether held firmly in their fingers, which is a common technique used to guide the visually-impaired during running. Henry also provides verbal cues on matters such as upcoming hills, turns, curbs and uneven footing.

"I am running to help raise funds for the visually-impaired through SCB's `Seeing is Believing' initiative," said Noralizulrainee.

"Through this initiative, we will be able to make a lasting difference to the lives of the visually-impaired community. “I also want to prove to myself and others that being blind is not obstacle," he added.