Inspiration to Overcome Obstacles: A Blind Man Runs The Inca Trail
Navigating 26 miles of rocky, narrow trails, alongside dangerous drop-offs is not a trivial undertaking even for typical athletes. The challenge is amplified when you ascend 1,500 uneven steps up to an elevation of 14,000 feet, where the altitude makes it hard to breathe. Now, try compressing the four-day Inca Trail trek into a continuous one-day run. Then, try doing it with your eyes closed, blindly blazing past the Incan ruins and stunning cliff-top views that motivate most people to undertake the challenge.
Dan Berlin, a 45-year-old American, recently accomplished just that, as the first blind man to run the Inca Trail, completing the route in just 13 hours. In his late 20s, Berlin’s sight slowly started to fade, due to cone-rod dystrophy, a rare eye disorder. By the age of 35, it was gone entirely. Berlin did not let his fading vision slow him down and instead, picked up running as a way to regain control over his life. He pursued this new hobby with his whole heart, pushing his limits further and further by running nine marathons and completing two half Ironman triathlons. His unquenchable thirst for adventure caused him to embark on an even bigger challenge: running a grueling 41.8-miles around the Grand Canyon. After successfully completing this Rim to Rim race around this iconic American landmark, he and three of his fellow runners decided to establish Team See Possibilities. With this organization, the team aims to motivate people to overcome perceived limitations while raising money for charitable causes.
This desire to inspire brought Team See Possibilities to Peru to tackle one of South America’s most epic hikes in support of Denver’s Blind Institute of Technology, an organization which aims to reduce unemployment for the visually-impaired. The runners struggled to navigate switchbacks, the steep climbs and high passes but the abrupt down hills were especially challenging for Berlin. However, his teammates and a local guide came up with a system of using their hiking poles and backpacks to form a supportive base to guide him down tricky rocks. Sometimes, Berlin was the one picking up the guides who slipped near him.
After 13 hours, Berlin and his team made it to Sun Gate of Machu Picchu, right as the sun was setting. Even though Berlin couldn’t see the 500-year-old Incan citadel sitting between two cloud-covered Incan peaks, he says the whole experience was “beautiful”. He elaborates, “the sensation of the granite and limestone steps alternating with soft earth under our feet, combined with the gentle humidity of the dense cloud forest, made for an exquisite sensory experience… Cool gusts from the high-altitude mountain passes, mixing with the warmth of the sun-heated cloud-forest jungle-it was a swirl of sensations as we progressed over the trail.”
The possibilities are truly limitless. Dan and his team are an inspiration to us all.
