Blind athlete has serious fun with legend
Imagine competing in a swimming race with your eyes shut.
That’s the reality for blind athlete Maria Williams, who is set to take on the world paratriathlon series with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
In March, Williams teamed up with Wellington sporting legend Melissa Moon – a two-time world mountain running champion – to win their first national triathlon title in New Plymouth.
The win suggested the partnership could yield success at the world triathlon para series in Montreal in July.
Williams, totally blind since 2001 as a result of congenital glaucoma, hasn’t let that stop her taking on sporting challenges.
In 2014 she was introduced to Moon, who saw a natural athlete in Williams and encouraged her to take up running.
They initially aimed to compete in the marathon at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, after Williams’ Auckland half-marathon time saw her ranked second in the world for the fully blind.
Stress fractures put that dream to bed but Moon was inspired watching the Tokyo para-triathlon event and floated the idea of switching events with Williams. ‘‘A lot of what paraathletes need is mental strength and tenacity ... the ones who get involved in sport at that level are a unique bunch of individuals, like Maria,’’ Moon said.
For Moon, the mental challenge as a guide is researching, observing and working out strategies for someone else, even as she is pushing herself physically.
Both natural runners, the 5 kilometres on foot was a breeze, but the 750-metre swim and 20-kilometre bike ride were uncharted territory.
Visually impaired triathletes must use a tandem bike with their guide, and Moon hadn’t cycled since she was a child.
‘‘We honestly wobbled around the Basin Reserve on her mountainbike tandem, which is like a dinosaur tandem, and I was going ‘this is hard going, how do you do the gears, how do you turn?’
‘‘But then it progressed quite fast . . . we got used to that quickly.’’
In the swim, Williams and Moon are tethered at the thigh with a bungee cord.
Since their first swim together at Oriental Bay in October, Moon has seen a ‘‘night and day’’ transformation in Williams’ courage and strength.
The washing machine effect of a bunch of swimmers in open water is disorientating for a blind athlete, and the pair have had other swimmers get stuck in their tether.
Throughout the swim, Moon taps Williams shoulder to give her information.
Communication was the key to a great athlete-guide team, Williams said.
‘‘Melissa is good at giving clear instructions and she knows what to tell me what’s relevant.’’
With 10 to 12 hours a week of training, Williams is grateful Moon gives up her time to guide her – and that they share the same mindset. ‘‘We just have a laugh – we are serious and everything, but we want to have fun,’’ she said.
Off the course, the road to Montreal has its own challenges.
Although Williams and Moon are representing New Zealand, the $10,000 trip is self-funded. Some money will hopefully come from grants, and the pair will fork out what they need to – but they hope to eventually secure a sponsor to help.
It would be worth it, Williams said, especially if her efforts inspired others. ‘‘If they just think ‘oh, just because I’ve got X or Y condition, or whatever going on, I can still get out there’.’’