The Confidence to Run Again: The First Marathon Runner to be Guided by Dogs
On this Giving Tuesday, we're telling the story of Thomas Panek, the president and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind. Under Panek’s leadership since 2014, Guiding Eyes continues to be an international leader and pioneer in the service animal field, including the first-of-its-kind specialized training program for running guide dogs. An avid marathon runner, Panek ranks amongst the top athletes in the Visually Impaired Division of the Boston and New York Marathons. In 2019, he became the first runner to compete in the New York City Half Marathon guided by dogs, and in 2020, he became the first blind athlete to run a self-guided 5K solo through Central Park in New York City. On this episode we talk about running, guide dog training, and the impact Guiding Eyes has on individuals experiencing vision loss.