Judy Tong and Joanne Lo
Blind athlete Judy Tong (right) and her guide runner Joanne Lo are training together to prepare for the upcoming Standard Chartered marathon. They talk to Mark Yuen about their partnership.
HK Magazine: When did you first commit to running the marathon?
Judy Tong: I started running four years ago, and this is my fourth time doing the Standard Chartered marathon. At first, I was lazy and rarely practiced. It was [only] last year that I started to work hard, because I now have a hardworking guide runner who comes to practice with me every time. I no longer have to worry that I don’t have anyone to train with, [which was something that] affected my running pace and therefore my practice. Now with Joanne, I have nothing to worry about. She waits for me outside and guides me into the sports ground. That’s why I’m so motivated to keep on running now.
HK: How often do you two train together?
JT: We train together twice a week at Sham Shui Po Sports Ground for around two hours each time.
HK: Judy—how did you get acquainted with your guide runner?
JT: It wasn’t difficult for me to get acquainted with Joanne as I’m a talkative person. She talks less, so she mostly listens to me speaking. She is the kind of person who needs more time to get acquainted with strangers. But when we got to know each other better, we had lots of things to talk about. I didn’t have a stable guide runner before—I was assigned to any guide runner available on the training days so we did not share much rapport. It was a positive turnaround after I met Joanne. She is really tolerant of me, and she adjusts her running pace to be in sync with me.
HK: Joanne—what inspired you to become a guide runner?
Joanne Lo: I’ve been joining marathons for quite some time now. I set myself a goal last year to combine running with something meaningful. I searched the internet and learned about the role of a guide runner, which matches what I want to achieve. Since last year, I’ve been a guide runner for the Hong Kong Blind Sports Federation (HKBSF). Judy has been my partner since I started.
HK: What kinds of training have you received to be a qualified guide runner?
JL: From time to time, I’m reminded and guided by the coaches about my running posture as we practice, because I have to run in a certain way to enable Judy to follow me.
HK: What personal qualities do you consider essential in a guide runner?
JL: I think one must be patient and you shouldn’t run out of pride. When partnering with [a blind athlete], you can’t just think about winning. You must be humble as a guide runner; you grow and improve with them.