[Feature picture credits to The Straits Times]

At first glance, she seems like any other runners out there. However, when you look closely, you notice something different. Whenever she runs, there is always someone accompanying her, and they are both holding on to a shoelace. This is Chris-Hortin Tan, and she is a runner with less than 5% of her vision left.

Many of us are able-bodied, but guilty of leading sedentary lifestyles. Some of us also say running is just not our thing. Well, running isn’t anyone’s thing, because everyone can run! Running doesn’t discriminate as you can take part in it no matter the limitations you are faced with. In Chris’ case, she doesn’t let her lack of sight stop her from pursuing running and taking part in other sports. She finds a way around her limitations and gets going! Let us get to know more about this inspiring lady.

Chris, left, running with her guide from Runninghour

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1. Give us an introduction of yourself! Hi, I am Chris Hortin Tan. I am married with 2 teenage boys and I am the vice-chairman/ events manager of Runninghour. I am also the head of Soundball Singapore. I began to lose my sight at age 14 due to an eye disease called juvenile glaucoma. Since then, I have developed tunnel vision, which basically means I now have less than 5% of my central vision field left. What does that mean? Just look through a bubble tea straw. That is my scope of vision.

2. What is Runninghour and Soundball? Tell us more about them. Runninghour is a social, non-profit running organisation. Our vision is to promote integration of people with special needs into society through mainstream sports, which is mainly running. Our disabled community consists of hearing, physically, visually and intellectually challenged runners. We promote well-being and are a platform for social networking between our buddies and their guides! We do not judge anyone here despite their disabilities and raise awareness about running with limits by joining many mainstream events like Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon and many more, which many think of as events for the able-bodied only. Soundball is known as blind tennis, in simpler terms. The ball is a little different, as it is a sponge ball. We cannot see the ball, hence this special ball is modified to make rattling noises. That’s how we know the ball is coming and we have to listen very carefully so we can hit the ball back to our opponent! Soundball Singapore holds weekly trainings. Some of our players represent Singapore and have participated in international tournaments!

3. What is the most common question you get from people when they find out you are a visually-impaired runner? I get various questions, like ‘how do you run?’, ‘is it possible? How can you run when you cannot see what is in front of you?’. When I get such questions, I jokingly tell them: I run with my two legs! One after another! Okay but jokes aside, I run with a sighted guide using a tether, which is either a shoelace or a lanyard. My sighted guide ensures I run safely.

4. Tell us how a typical day in your life goes! I try to keep myself busy, so every day is a little different from the previous. Some days, I go for soundball tennis training, or I head out for a run with my sighted guide. I also go out to makan with my friends, do some grocery shopping, work from home and walk my dog. I try to do some reading everyday too!

5. What keeps you leading such an active lifestyle, despite the difficulties you face? I think family support is very important in influencing me to keep up an active lifestyle. My family encourages me to go out and try new things, instead of just staying at home and whiling my days away. My two boys have been a huge factor too, because I do not want to appear like a mother sitting at home doing nothing. Not that that is wrong, but I want to show them that even though I have lost most of my sight, I can still do things that able-bodied people can, albeit in a different way! Besides that, I also want to keep fit and look good. As that saying goes, when you look good, you’ll feel good too.

Chris at the annual Runninghour race

Needless to say, I felt like the world had come to an end and I was very devastated. Imagine yourself slowly losing the ability to do whatever you could do before, and not being able to do anything to stop it! I felt very helpless and frustrated.

I picked up running again back in 2012, but because of the long break I took, I was unfit and had very little stamina. At that time, I had no sighted guide too, hence running alone was very tough for me. I missed steps, fell over uneven ground, lost my balance and even bumped into people. I lost confidence in myself.

8. You ran before having glaucoma and even after. Has running taught you anything different? Yes, running has really taught me a lot. It taught me to be more positive in life, to be resilient and that nothing can stand in my way. Instead, I choose to focus on what I can do now and not dwell on what I cannot achieve. I rediscovered my passion for running, making it even more enjoyable and precious to me. Now, I truly understand that it is a privilege to run.

Hmm, I really cannot choose! I like all the sports I’m playing, regardless whether it is running, trekking, tennis, swimming or other activities. They all make a better person, for example, tennis trains my sense of hearing because I have to hear the rattling of the ball to play it well, while running trains my stamina. In any case, all these sports give me meaning in life and make me strive to become a better person every day!

I have done 2 full marathons (42.195km), which are the Singapore Standard Chartered Marathon 2014 and Christchurch New Zealand 2016. I think I have also completed around 14 half-marathons (21.1km), participated in sprint and Olympic distance triathlons and spartan race too.

I wanted to challenge myself and test my limits, to see how much I can push myself to overcome all obstacles. Also, I got encouragement from my running guides to try out marathon-running! I thought, why not?

Yes, because it is so tiring to run such long distances in this hot and humid weather of Singapore’s. However, I try to tell myself to persevere because I do not want to let myself and my guides down. My guides volunteer their time to train with me, so I do not want to give up halfway. Training for long distance running requires bonding between my guide and me to ensure a comfortable run. Also, once I start a race, there is no turning back. It doesn’t matter how long it takes to run to the finishing line. It is all about completing the race.

13. You are such a great inspiration to all those seeking to lead an active lifestyle, but how has inspired you in your life? Hmm, nobody inspired me. I want to keep fit because I want to look and feel good, I feel great when people recognise my efforts. I don’t really know what kind of inspiration I am to others, I just go out there, enjoy myself and do my best! I don’t want to be unfit and have other health issues as a result, which could be totally preventable! This is unfair to those around you, especially your family who has to take care of you.

All my races are memorable because I trained and put in my best effort. Every race is different and special to me because I run with different guides. Run To Bond!

15. Has your active lifestyle impacted those around you in any way? Not really, but I think my two boys are very encouraging and positive towards people with special needs. They know it isn’t easy having to cope with what life gives you on top of the disability you have and the various struggles these people face. It could be exclusion, unfair treatment, discrimination etc. They also always tell me: Mum, you are not blind. You have achieved more than some sighted people have achieved. My family sees my ability, not my disability.

16. Do you have anything to say to encourage those with impairments to start leading a more active lifestyle? Do not give up easily. There is always a first time for everything, and you may be well aware of the difficulties you are about to face, but at least give it a go! I think the mind is a very powerful thing. It influences one’s actions. If you think you cannot do it, you won’t do it, but if you think you can, you will be willing to cross the invisible line you drew for yourself and achieve new milestones! If you fail, it’s okay, because life is all about trying! You never know what life throws in your way so just Do not give up easily. There is always a first time for everything, and you may be well aware of the difficulties you are about to face, but at least give it a go! I think the mind is a very powerful thing. It influences one’s actions. If you think you cannot do it, you won’t do it, but if you think you can, you will be willing to cross the invisible line you drew for yourself and achieve new milestones!

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We would like to thank Chris for agreeing to this interview even though she was busy juggling her other commitments, such as overseeing and participating in Runninghour’s annual race, Run for Inclusion 2019. This run is Singapore’s only mass running event where participants run alongside the hearing, intellectually, physical and visually-challenged runners, spreading empowerment and facilitating interaction.

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