LUCY EDWARDS, 21, AND STEVE PITT, 46

Blind runner and guide

When Lucy Edwards was 17, rare eye condition called incontinentia pigmenti caused her to go blind. At first, she struggled to come to terms with her sight loss, rarely leaving the house. But three years on, she is gearing up for her first marathon, which she’ll be running alongside guide runner Steve Pitt. ‘ When I was suffering with depression, I went onto the British Blind Sport website and found Steve,’ says Lucy, from Birmingham. ‘ We started running together once a week. Running really helps me cope with my blindness – it makes me feel so positive and alive.’

‘I love our runs,’ adds Steve. ‘ Lucy is such an inspiring person, with a fantastic outlook on life – especially after the challenges she’s had to overcome. We always have a good laugh and put the world to rights while we’re running.’

Last October, Lucy asked Steve, who is also a coach and a ninetime marathoner, to do the Virgin Money London Marathon with her. Her aim was to raise funds for Guide Dogs UK, a charity close to her heart. ‘ When I wake up each morning, my guide dog, Olga, is the one who reminds me being blind is OK,’ she says.

Lucy herself regularly convinces thousands of viewers that being blind is ‘OK’ through her Youtube channel, Yesterdayswishes, which was born out of frustration with the negative way visually impaired people are perceived. On the channel she discusses everything from guide dogs to smartphones and how to apply perfect make-up without being able to see; she has more than 28,000 followers.

Lucy isn’t worried about how long it will take her to finish her debut marathon. ‘I just want to complete it,’ she says. ‘ I’ll know when I cross the finish line that I’ve overcome the depression I’ve suffered since losing my sight.’