Guiding visually impaired swimmer in open water

I don't have any advice for you, but just wanted to say that it's awesome you are doing this and I wish you luck and hope you both have a great time.

Does he have a dog? They use a lot of labs for guide dogs and labs are formidable swimmers. Of course, that wouldn't be a quick training job.

That is completely inspiring. I am in awe--of you both. Thanks for letting us know how it went. Were you with him on the bike and run too? How did that work?

Thanks for your support gang. I provided directions from my partner’s side and it took a few left arms to the noggin to realize I didn’t need to be so close. I used a 12' bungee from REI and a couple of old credit cards to tether my partner to me. Credit cards with the bungee worked like the small tube that is threaded thru swim paddles. Thanks to my buddy Chuck for coming up with the credit card idea. The swim took longer than expected, but we were allowed to start 10 minutes in advance so our start was a lot less crazy than other waves. My partner got into a decent rhythm over the last 500 yards (1500 yard swim) and swam his way right along a swarm of sprint distance swimmers. Definitely got a taste of triathlon swim exit nuttiness. Thanks again.

Hi Sydned, Thanks so much for your kinds words. The post you left last week was very helpful because it helped me with my confidence. Yes, my partner and I rode a tandem together. My thought was to keep the seat a little lower because I wasn't as comfortable pilotting as I'd like to be. About 1/4 mile in my knees let me know I had the wrong idea. :-) The run went well because my partner has run several marathons in the past so he was able to keep a steady pace. And BTW, not to preach, but be in awe of my partner, absolutely, but please not of me. You'd be surprised how much help organizations like dare2tri, U.S. Blind Tandem Cycling Connection, and other great organizations could use. Whatever your speciality or interests and whatever the group--they'd definitely appreciate your help. I help with kids swim classes and can assure you I am a just okay swimmer. Thanks again for your interest and kind words.

Wow! I had no idea those organizations were even out there. Very cool. I will look into it as I love the idea of being able to work with someone as they meet a challenge that seems so insurmountable to the rest of us. By the way, I'm not a big reality TV watcher, but there's a new show called Expedition Impossible and one of the contestants is a blind man from Colorado, Erik Weihenmayer, who was the first blind man to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. Totally amazing to see what this man can do. Thanks for the update on the rest of the race! Can't wait to hear about your next experience doing this! And maybe one of these days, I can share one of my own! All the best, Sydne