The Indian runner who made history in Boston-in the visually impaired category

May 02, 2017 12:04 IST rediffmail.com

'I ran with the Indian flag throughout and, believe me, it is a fantastic feeling.'

Last month, runners from all over the world strained every sinew while running the Boston Marathon.

Among the 30,000 participants was India's Sagar Baheti, who achieved the rare distinction of completing the 42.2 km course in the visually impaired category.

Why the Boston marathon is a big deal

The Boston Marathon is America's oldest and iconic race.
The success of the first Olympic Marathon in 1896 inspired the first Boston race in 1897.
Boston is also unique because it is a qualified race. A Boston Marathon shirt means runners have run fast.

Sagar, 31, who made the cut via qualification, crossed the line in 4 hours, 14 minutes, 7 seconds.

In the process, Sagar became the first visually impaired Indian to compete and finish the 121st edition of the world's oldest marathon.

The Bengaluru lad began running the gruelling distance five years ago after being diagnosed with Stargardt disease.

It was while playing cricket that he noticed something was wrong with his vision. He had problems catching the ball.

After consulting several experts, it was concluded that he couldn't identify objects beyond a metre.

What is Stargardt disease?

Stargardt disease is the most common form of inherited juvenile macular degeneration.
The progressive vision loss associated with Stargardt disease is caused by the death of photoreceptor cells in the central portion of the retina called the macula.
Decreased central vision is a hallmark of Stargardt disease. Side vision is usually preserved.

Not one to let vision issues or anything else stand in the way of his ambition, Sagar goes about his life with a steely determination.