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TransLantau by UTMB: visually impaired Hong Kong runner takes on 25km race to show ‘we can’
- Organisers introduce new adaptive athlete policy allowing visually impaired and those with learning difficulties to use guide runners
- Liang Zhang says ultra running makes him happy, ahead of challenge this weekend
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In the past Hong Kong runner Liang Zhang would not have been allowed to take part in this weekend’s TransLantau races because he is visually impaired.
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The 44-year-old has been dealing with a lack of sight since birth, and the event, which is organised by UTMB, previously made no allowances for guide runners.
Now, however, a change in policy means adaptive athletes physically capable of finishing the course will be allowed guides to accompany them on all or parts of the race.
And Zhang is taking full advantage of that, competing in the 25km event, which starts on Sunday morning.
Zhang trains with the Fearless Dragon running club, which encourages adaptive runners, and deaf runners guide blind runners. Fearless Dragon is a pun and in Cantonese it sounds like “blind” and “deaf” – “maang” and “lung”
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“We have a we can spirit [at Fearless Dragon], we believe together, we can. Although we are disabled people, we are able to do anything together,” Zhang said.
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