A Heartfelt Conversation

     


    






    In August of 2026, I entered my fifth WILL-SEESAW Showdown Cup. Having obtained 2nd place in the previous tournament and first place the one before, I was eager to reclaim my title as the Showdown Champion. Like I always had done, I greeted the regulars and picked out my equipment. My Pro this time was relatively new to SEESAW, so I was very excited to discuss with him. It turned out that he, like me, was an avid athlete of cross country; he engaged in marathons, sprints, and even trail running. At that moment, a sudden wave of concern came over me; I questioned my teammate on how he was able to safely navigate the many twists and turns, as well as tripping hazards like loose roots, that existed on the mountain. I knew that such features were dangerous for the visually impaired. In response, the man chuckled and said, "Yes, it's one of the hardest things I have done! But with a guide, and through numerous walkthroughs of the area feeling every hazard and spatially mapping out the optimal path, I am able to relatively safely engage in some nice jogs through nature."

At that moment, I felt significant respect for my teammate. Despite the numerous challenges of running that he faced, let alone in the middle of a tall mountain, his passion for our shared sport and his perseverance enabled him to achieve these feats. 

We then engaged in a discussion about easy running distances, proper running form, and effective running shoes. I personally enjoyed sporting my Nike Vomero Premiums for their comfortable padding and bonus height boosts, but my teammate preferred the HOKA shoes as their pure performance and aerodynamic mobility potential far outweighed the Nike shoes. While I found the 5 kilometer distance easiest, my teammate was incredible at endurance and stated that he enjoyed half or full marathons most. I personally have never even done a ten kilometer race, so I was utterly amazed at his abilities. 

While we ended up in fifth place with only a 30000 won Starbucks Gift Card to our names, I was able to earn a valuable conversation with a fellow runner and improve my respect for the visually impaired community. 


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