Sara (right) with guide Randal (left) after completing the Rotorua Half Marathon.
Vision impaired athlete Sara Ash’s motto is “never say never”. With only five percent of her vision left, due to a condition called retinitis pigmentosa, Sara has spent much of her life lacking the confidence to get involved in different sports. Now aged 52, she has only recently discovered the many sport and active recreation opportunities available to her as a member of the blind and low vision community, and has already achieved some fantastic success in running, cycling and swimming. In our spotlight piece with Sara, we talk about how she found the confidence to try some new sports, what she loves most about training and competing, her volunteer experience, and her long-term goals.
Sara (second from left) with guides Jarrad and David before the Marra Sprint Triathlon.
Growing up, Sara was not hugely involved with the blind and low vision community, having only met another low vision individual for the first time at the age of 30. Whilst she loved to keep active, often exercising independently at home, she says “every now and again I had been known to do some crazy thing, and had an absolute ball doing it, but I did lack a lot of confidence”.
A massive cheerleader for her peers, it was whilst supporting a vision impaired friend at a running event, that another friend suggested that she should take on a triathlon herself. Feeling inspired, Sara and two friends took on the Tinman, a Tauranga based triathlon. Sarah completed the cycling portion on a tandem bike, whilst her teammates completed the swimming and running parts of the event. This achievement encouraged Sara to take on an even bigger challenge; to complete a full triathlon on her own. She connected in with some experienced triathletes who helped her to train for the event, and completed the Marra Sprint in Tauranga in March 2020.
Since completing her first triathlon, Sara has continued running, biking and swimming. She has completed a half marathon, attended a cycling time trial at Hampton Downs, participated in long group rides on a tandem bike with a sighted pilot, and is part of a group who do virtual rides on their exercise bikes each week.
Sara explains that one of the best things about training and competing is the people she meets along the way, including the guides she trains alongside. When running through the Redwoods Forest during the Rotorua half marathon, Sara experienced total blindness due to a lack of natural light in the area. Being able to run whilst experiencing complete blindness was an amazing feeling, and something that she can only do with a guide. She says “the cool part about being partially sighted, is that I get to share these moments with someone else. When you go over the finish line, it’s a shared moment, it’s our run”.
Sara (third from left) supporting athletes at Park Run in Tauranga.
When reflecting on some of her favourite memories over the past few years, a moment that stands out to Sara was when she attended the 2021 Festival of Disability Sport. Initially attending as a volunteer, Sara decided to have a go at a few of the sports on offer, including goalball. Before attending the festival, Sara had never considered trying goalball, but was encouraged by peers to give it a go, and absolutely loved it. All players wore blindfolds regardless of their level of vision, meaning that they were all playing without sight. Sara says that “for the first time, I just felt normal and I loved it”.
When she’s not training and competing, Sara spends her time supporting the sport disability community, explaining that she is really driven by being able to help others. Whether it’s cheering people on from the sidelines at Park Run, supporting the Blind Sport NZ team and athletes at events, or joining a virtual cycle ride to help her friends prepare for their next event, Sara is always there to jump in and help.
After a jam packed few years, Sara is showing no signs of slowing down. Despite her worsening vision, she is keen to keep trying new sports, having recently tried surfing and kayaking. Later this year, Sara will be going on a tramp in the Kaimai Ranges with a support person, and would love to do some of the tracks in the South Island. She’s also going to complete another 10km run and triathlon, and is really keen to get her own tandem bike so that she can participate in more group rides and time trials.
Recently a friend said to Sara “okay you’ve done a triathlon at 51, you’ve done a half marathon at 52, what are you going to do at 53?”. To this Sara says ‘whatever comes my way”.
Want to know more about the sports Sara is involved in? Find a sport on our website, or check out our events page for upcoming opportunities.
Sara with Achilles Tauranga athletes and guides at Park Run.
Sara with friends Shannon and Te Huia after completing the Marra Sprint Triathlon.