Guiding 101

United In Stride is thankful for those who are willing to share their heart, eyes, and feet with a visually impaired walker or runner who would not otherwise be able to participate outdoors. Guides are needed for all paces and distances since the VI Athlete community is very diverse, from beginner to elite.

Asking questions, respecting personal boundaries, being a good listener, and following through with your plans are just a few ways to lay the right foundation.

All methods of guiding rely heavily on the use of verbal communication by the guide to the VI athlete. This is especially important when guiding without a tether or physical cues. For deaf-blind athletes, other forms of cueing may be necessary.

A visually impaired walker/runner cannot see, so they rely on what you tell them to understand obstacles, terrain, and the environment around them.

Even if something doesn’t present an obvious tripping hazard to a sighted person such as a small puddle, pile of leaves, mud, or gravel on a road surface, always try to alert the VI walker/runner to what is coming up if you must go through it.

“We’ll be running downhill for a couple hundred yards and then the road flattens out.”

“There is a cyclist approaching us. They are on the other side of the path so let’s stay where we are at.”

“There is a stoplight coming up, we are going to come to a stop at the end of the sidewalk and wait for it to turn green.”

Always inform the VI athlete about transitions such as moving from pavement to cobblestone, or pavement to dirt or grass, when stepping onto a wooden bridge, cresting a hill, dips or bumps in a path, etc.

You may have to slow down for a few steps at the point of change for the VI walker/runner to adjust to the new terrain.

This can be used when alerting the VI athlete to the timing of various obstacles, turns or changes in footing.

For example, “We will be stepping down a curb in 3-2-1, step down.” “There are some overhanging branches, so we’ll duck in 3-2-1 duck. All clear.” “We’ll be making a hard right turn in 3-2-1, turn.”

When guiding a visually impaired athlete, there will be physical contact. It is the responsibility of the guide to act as a “bumper” on one side from potential hazards. It’s important that the guide holds their position. When the VI walker/runner accidentally bumps into the guide, they can correct their course.

When using a hand-held tether, the guide will be the “bumper on one side and the tether provides the limit on the other side.

When moving between tight obstacles such as poles in your path, or navigating groups or cyclists, there are times you will need to run single file. First announce the upcoming movement, for example, “we have an approaching cyclist so move behind me”. The guide will initially need to speed up to get into the right position in front of the VI athlete.

If using a tether, the guide will hold their tethered hand in the middle of their back so the VI athlete can center behind the them. Since the tether is quite short, the VI athlete will be holding their arm out in front to allow for enough space to avoid tripping the guide.

Once the obstacle is clear, call out, “all clear,” and the VI athlete can once again come alongside the guide. Running/walking single file can be a challenge so is normally only done for clearing brief obstacles that cannot be negotiated in any other way.

If words can’t come fast enough to avoid an obstacle, it’s OK to push/yank the VI athlete out of the way. They would much rather have that then falling on their face!

Tell the VI athlete about your visual observations of what is going on around you. A colorful sunrise or sunset, flowers in bloom, or other beautiful, odd or funny things going on around you shouldn’t be kept secret.

When out running/walking on your own, practice calling out what you would say if you were guiding. This will allow you to work on your timing of cues and begin paying attention to the world around you that normally goes unnoticed.

You can also blindfold yourself and have a friend guide you to have a better sense of what cues are helpful. If you have a willing friend who trusts you, blindfold them and take them out to practice with you. It can be equally helpful to blindfold yourself for a short practice, while being guided by a friend, so you develop a better sense of the types of cues that you would want to have.

When guiding at races, the guide will oftentimes also give the VI athlete pacing feedback and grab the water cups from the volunteers.

A guide should would be willing to volunteer once or twice a month, but are obviously welcome to be more involved. This is a great opportunity to combine your love of athletics with volunteering without a significant commitment to your schedule.

Unless specifically discussed, you are not expected to be an athlete’s primary guide and they should have (or are working on recruiting) additional guides to help meet their goals. Even fast runners are willing to guide a much slower pace if it is just once in a while.