The first blind Vietnamese to conquer a marathon: 10 years of leaving the darkness behind
Báo Dân trí•03/12/2023
Every step on the journey to conquer the running track was exchanged for sweat, tears and even blood for this Gen Z guy. "Come on! Come on!", hearing the cheers from afar, Vu Tien Manh, 23 years old (from Phu Tho) seemed to wake up. His body was exhausted, even lifting his legs required a great effort after covering a distance of nearly 42km, as if he had been given a huge source of energy. The moment he crossed the finish line amidst the cheers of everyone, the young man burst into tears, tears falling involuntarily, mingling with the sweat soaking his face. Vu Tien Manh officially became the first blind Vietnamese to conquer the marathon. The 42km medal he just won at the marathon held in Ha Long, Vu Tien Manh solemnly hung on the wall in the living room, where his running achievements are kept. Next to it, is the gold medal from the national running competition for disabled students in 2014. The two medals seem to encapsulate a long journey from when he first fell in love with running to when he conquered the peaks of running for Manh. Each step on this journey was exchanged for sweat, tears and even blood. Suffering from nystagmus, since birth, Manh could only see "dimly" large objects and colors. His eyesight gradually deteriorated over the years and by 2020, Manh could only distinguish between light and dark. "What to do to live as a disabled person?", that was the concern of his parents when they accepted the fact that Manh would live his whole life in the dark, after exhausting their financial efforts to treat him. Initially, Manh's family wanted him to pursue a career in music, but he did not find a passion for this art form. On the contrary, Vu Tien Manh found his love for running. His parents strongly opposed it because they thought running was a dangerous sport for Manh. This was not wrong. Manh's first running sessions always ended with his legs and arms covered in bloody wounds from falls and collisions. "To prove to my parents that my choice was right, there was no other way but to make an effort. Of course, the results could not come overnight. And then the falls gradually became less frequent, and his running speed also increased over time," Manh recalled. The turning point happened in 2014, when Manh participated in the National Running Competition for disabled students and excellently won a gold medal. Manh shared: "For me, this is always the most precious medal. It not only opened the path to professional running, but also helped me tell my parents that "I did it". The whole family changed their minds and started supporting my choice from then on". Behind the silver medal at the 12th ASEAN Para Games were times when the blind runner faced extreme challenges that seemed impossible to overcome. In early April, to get used to the heat of Cambodia (where the tournament was held), during peak hours (2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.), Manh started running on a synthetic rubber track, where the temperature sometimes reached 49-50 degrees Celsius. "There were times when I felt like I was walking on the edge, just a little bit discouraged and I could have given up," Manh described. A few months later, the sweat on the burning track was worth it. "The moment I put my hand on my left chest and sang the National Anthem loudly in the international arena, I couldn't hold back my tears of pride, my body trembled as if an electric current had run through it," Manh recounted with excitement and emotion as if it had just happened yesterday. The latest medal was exchanged for continuous, non-stop running on the 42km long route around Ha Long city. Manh said: "The last 10km, I almost ran only by will. Time passed very slowly, each minute was like torture. It felt like all the strength in my body had been used up, I couldn't move another kilometer, the thought of giving up was always present." After 3 hours 41 minutes 12 seconds, Manh crossed the finish line. The beautiful ending was written by the relentless efforts to conquer long-distance running. At 5:30 a.m., in a small room on Hao Nam Street (Hanoi), young man Vu Tien Manh fumbled to put each item needed for a training run into a worn backpack. "A bottle of water, an electrolyte bottle, a set of clothes, a towel...", Manh mumbled. Touching the table in the corner of the room, he laughed: "Ah, here's my hat! I remember leaving it here". After each race, Manh returned to his training runs every morning. A habit, as he described it, "every time my legs itch". Having been a professional runner for nearly 10 years, Manh only started running long distances in the past 3 years. That was one morning in early 2020, Manh woke up and decided to refresh himself with a new distance, because "staying at home during Covid-19 is so boring". "Oh, why does running long distances feel so good?", Manh was excited right from his first long run. He described that when running a familiar short distance of 100-300m, he only cared about reaching the finish line quickly, but when running long distances, he could talk to many runners around him. Manh was drawn to long-distance running from the new and exciting emotions on the track, but according to Manh, to conquer this sport, it is necessary to have a truly serious and scientific investment. Especially when right from the first steps, Manh set his goal as a marathon medal. Manh analyzed: "For any sport , if you want to go professional, it is almost mandatory to have a training plan from the beginning of the week to the end of the week". For the first 1 or 2 years, Manh often had direct training sessions with his coach. Later, when he had experience, except for important sessions that required direct meetings; the remaining time, the coach would send training plans for Manh to follow and record data via a specialized watch. Manh also had his own personal lifestyle when he started long-distance running. Every day, he ate 3-5 meals, always making sure to supplement all the nutrients: fiber, protein, starch... in the menu. Going to bed before 11pm is essential for Manh to ensure he gets enough sleep and prepares well for the next training day. Before running long distances, whether it's winter or summer, he always does warm-up exercises to warm up his body. "I usually run 1-2 km to warm up, then sit and stretch my muscles; do professional supporting movements for track and field athletes: small steps, high thigh steps, heels touching the buttocks... to warm up the body, enter a high training intensity with less injury," Manh shared. Recognizing the familiar sound of a motorbike in front of his house, the blind young man quickly put on his backpack and started a new day with the greatest passion of his life. Manh's "driver" is Duong, the girl he calls his special companion. "When running, especially in a race, a blind person needs a companion to lead the way. The companion needs to have skills and know the running route well to ensure the safety of both of them when running," Manh shared. In addition to Duong, Manh also has another companion, Pham Binh Linh. Linh has accompanied this blind young man from his early days of entering the sport until now. A day before competing, Manh and Linh often arrive at the competition venue to familiarize themselves with the road. That familiarization session helps Manh visualize more clearly the journey he will take. When participating in the competition, the companion always runs on the right hand of the athlete, they are connected by a rope on the hand. Through this rope, the blind runner will control the speed according to the companion as well as navigate to suit the running route. The companion will also help the blind runner monitor the indicators on the sports watch, as well as remind when necessary. "The companion is a confidant, our "eyes", Manh turned to Duong and smiled. Early winter morning at Hang Day Stadium, a group of young blind people tapped their feet, running together towards the dawn, where the sun was shining. Their faces were as bright as the sun. They are members of the Blind Runner Club, for blind people who are "crazy about their feet", founded by Vu Tien Manh. According to Manh, running is one of the most accessible sports for the blind. By actively posting recruitment posts on blind groups, as well as through connections in the blind community, Manh has so far attracted 30 members to join the club. The team is divided into 2 groups: New participants and long-time runners. Each group practices according to a separate training program, created by Manh. Besides the support of his companions, according to Manh, running forces him to exploit the power of his other senses to the fullest. He describes that when running in the dark, the ears of a blind person will operate at "200% capacity". Athletes will listen to the cadence of other runners to adjust their own cadence. In addition, their ears also replace their eyes to capture other important information through the alarm on the running watch or the exchange of information from the guide. "For those who are visually impaired, running 35-40km can only hear their own footsteps. Those four hours are both tiring and discouraging," Manh said about the special challenge for visually impaired people when running long distances. At these times, the companion describes the surrounding scenery "Preparing to run over the bridge"; "I'm running near the beach, very beautiful" ... to help inspire the athlete. God took away the eyes of the blind man but in return he had a very good hearing and sense of space. On the familiar running track, a long-time runner can run independently. Having lost his sight, the world behind Manh's eyes is not an endless black void. "There is a chair over there, we often sit and rest," Manh pointed to the far corner, boasting that he knew every corner of this familiar running track. He described, in his mind he built an image of the track on Hang Day Stadium. The details became more and more profound after each lap. The blind boy himself added color to the stadium in his imagination through the description of his companion: "The running track is red, the chairs are blue and white". Just like the way Manh painted his own colorful life, with optimism and a passionate sports spirit. Design: Duc Binh
Every step on the journey to conquer the running track was exchanged for sweat, tears and even blood for this Gen Z guy. "Come on! Come on!", hearing the cheers from afar, Vu Tien Manh, 23 years old (from Phu Tho) seemed to wake up. His body was exhausted, even lifting his legs required a great effort after covering a distance of nearly 42km, as if he had been given a huge source of energy. 
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