To compete in the Olympic Games is considered a great accomplishment by any standards. To do so in an event in which one has only recently begun training for is even more exceptional. To accomplish both of these feats in spite of being legally blind is unfathomable to many full-sighted athletes who can only dream of competing in the Olympics. This is exactly what Marla Runyan has accomplished and she has described in her book No Finish Line: My Life as I See It ($14.00, The Berkley Publishing Group, New York, 2001).

Runyan begins by describing her childhood in California and her gradual loss of vision beginning in the fourth grade. She describes how she went from having normal vision to being able to see only a narrow peripheral band. One of the most frustrating experiences she describes is the repeated misdiagnoses of her problem, one doctor even suggesting that the problem was psychosomatic. She is finally correctly diagnosed, though, with Stargardt's disease, "a degenerative ailment that essentially leaves holes in the delicate, light- sensitive membrane in the back of your eyes that absorbs and translates images." Runyan must overcome the challenges of growing up and fitting in socially but now with the complication of not being fully sighted. In spite of the many obstacles, though, Runyan describes how with her own determination and the help of her supportive family she is able to get through high school and participate in almost every activity that a fully-sighted individual could. She is able to do everything from learning to drive with the help of a special device, to playing the violin, to competing on the track team. However, she describes the constant battle just to be allowed to participate in activities that would be considered ordinary tasks for a full-sighted individual. In spite of the many obstacles placed in her way, Runyan is able to ultimately succeed and be invited to compete in the high-jump at San Diego State University while obtaining a degree in Communicative Disorders with a special emphasis on education of deaf and blind children.

In addition to her vision loss, what makes Runyan's story unique from that of many other elite athletes is her transformation into a distance runner from a high jumper. She begins college purely as a high jumper before her talent as a middle-distance runner is discovered. She begins running the 400 and eventually decides to try the heptathlon in which she qualifies for the 1996 Olympic Trials. She discovers, though, that it is her 800 time that keeps improving. She decides to focus on running middle distance events and must totally transform herself from the build of a heptathlete to that of a distance runner. This transition is not an easy one and she must deal with injuries requiring surgery. She finally comes to the conclusion that, "if I didn't learn to heal properly, and to train properly, my career might never materialize." She describes how it is only after she learns to allow her self to recover that her career is able to take off with qualifying times for the US Olympic Trials in both the 1500 and the 800 and a victory in the Pan-American Games 1500 in only her fourth race in the event. Yet she describes her frustration when, following these successes, the media seem to focus entirely on her lack of vision rather than upon her athletic accomplishments. As she says "I can't see well, and I run. So let's get on with it." While she does have difficulty seeing the lines on the track and knowing the position of the other athletes around her, Runyan does not let this hold her back from competing with the best runners in the world and prefers that others not constantly focus on what she cannot do but rather what she can do.

Runyan ultimately goes on to qualify for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and finishes 8th in the 1500 meters and also set the US indoor record in the 5000 meters. She states that, "I learned that no matter how hard you train, the race is still dependent on what you believe." Runyan's story is unique in that she is legally blind, but at the same time her attitude toward overcoming challenges and not letting obstacles stand in one's way are applicable to every athlete's career. This book provides a unique perspective on running while at the same time allowing Runyan to motivate the reader with her positive attitude in the face of adversity.

Editor note: Elaine Binkley is junior at Denison University where she has earned NCAA Division III All American honors twice in cross-country. Last spring, she was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America(R) Women's Track & Field/Cross Country first team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Elaine also earned All State honors in Cross Country and Track at Bishop Watterson High School.

The RUNOHIO's Book Review - A Closer Look at - explores various running books and is a regular column in RUNOHIO. - To have your book considered for reviewed, please send a copy to: Matt McGowan, c/o RUNOHIO, 330 Spellman Street, Granville, OH 43023

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