Station of Love: Blind Runner Conquers the 42km Marathon Course

As well as conquering long-distance races, Tien Manh recently became the first blind Vietnamese to complete a 42km marathon. Every step of this young man has been one of determination and the exchange of sweat, tears, and blood. This journey will be recounted in the Station of Love with the theme "Băng qua bóng tối" (Crossing the Darkness).

Bringing many medals to the "Băng qua bóng tối" (Crossing the Darkness) show, Manh proudly introduces them as the result of his efforts in pursuing his marathon passion. Manh's passion for running began in 2013 and by 2020, he had moved on to long-distance running. Talking about his latest medal for conquering the 42 km run around Ha Long City at the 12th ASEAN Para Games, the young man couldn't hide his joy: "I am the first blind Vietnamese to conquer a marathon. I am very happy because I have not only fulfilled my passion, but I also surpassed my limits."

When asked about the secret to conquering the race, Tien Manh revealed that besides having good physical strength and daily endurance training, warming up is extremely important. With the knowledge he has gained, the Gen Z boy immediately led the host and the audience of "Crossing the Darkness" through the necessary warm-up exercises. Looking at Tien Manh's dedication to these movements, no one would think that this young man is visually impaired.

Suffering from nystagmus since birth, Manh can only vaguely see objects of large sizes. But his vision gradually deteriorated over time and by 2020, Manh could only distinguish between light and dark. Unable to see much, Manh sometimes feels insecure, especially when teased by friends. It wasn't until he attended a specialized school for the visually impaired in Viet Tri that Manh began to enjoy life much more. The skills taught at school helped Manh integrate more easily into life.

In 2014, noticing Tien Manh's running ability and his enthusiasm for track and field, his coach instructed him to train in short-distance running. Although his family objected out of concern for their son's safety, the 10X athlete never gave up, always training diligently despite the initial difficulties, sweat, tears, and even blood after falls and collisions on the racetrack. Painful, and exhausting, but Tien Manh never thought of giving up. It is his love, passion, and enthusiasm for running that helped this young man overcome all difficulties.

His efforts were rewarded with a gold medal at the National Running Championship for Students with Disabilities in 2014. The joy was doubled when the family changed their minds and supported their son in pursuing his passion for professional running. As well as winning many medals at home, but Tien Manh was also a member of the Vietnamese Disabled Athletics Team competing at the 12th Para Games in Cambodia in 2023. On his first appearance, he excellently won 3 silver medals in the 800m, 1,500m, and relay events. Tien Manh'sbiggest regret was losing the 1,500m to his opponent by just 0.1% of a second. For Tien Manh, contributing to the collective success of the Vietnamese Disabled Sports Delegation is what he is most proud of: "In Cambodia, the weather was very harsh, far away from training at home, but to represent the homeland, no matter how difficult it was, I couldn't give up. I was determined to reach the finish line, and I was willing to run with my life."

For every blind athlete, there is always a companion on the run. The presence of those who stand side by side with Manh through many races, "Manh's eyes" on every track, will partly reveal the difficulties, the relentless efforts, the accidents, and the unforgettable memories of this resilient visually impaired young man.

Tien Manh currently runs a running club for blind people in addition to his athletic duties. He hopes to help more people in the future, especially those who are still hesitant to run. The gift from the "Station of Love" will ignite the fire for this young man on his journey to spread his life’s resilience.

How can a blind person take control of his race when he can't see? What secret helps an athlete like Vu Tien Manh conquer long-distance races? All this will be revealed in the "Crossing the Darkness" theme of the Station of Love, which will be broadcast at 10:00 AM on Saturday, April 13th, on VTV1 channel.