I'm Abigail, I appear in the photo wearing shorts. I was born 29 years ago in Moquegua, grew up in Tacna, and then lived in Bolivia with my family for 11 years. By my side is Barbara, she is 37 years old and has two children. She is an ultramarathon runner and has been dedicated to the fitness world for 15 years. She has even run 168 km in Spain without stopping.

Marathons Around the World

London, Chicago, Boston, Berlin, Tokyo, and New York host the six most important marathons in the world. Last year, Abigail Teran crossed the finish line of the race held in the Big Apple and became the first blind Peruvian to achieve this feat.

"Hole, people, move forward, lift your foot, left, right," Barbara Koch tells Abi as they travel side by side on the track of the Galvez Chipoco stadium in Barranco. They never let go of the guiding rope that allows them to maintain the same rhythm.

Interview with Abigail

—When did you start in athletics?
-Abigail: I had two stages. In Bolivia, at the age of 14, my teacher saw that I spent a lot of time in the library and wanted to do something for me [laughs]. He encouraged me to run and I won a bronze medal. But after 4 or 5 races, I had to quit because there were no guides and the teacher was going to change classrooms. The second stage began in October 2015, when I met Barbara in the Los Olivos race.

Interview with Barbara

—Barbara, you are an outstanding athlete. When did you start as a guide?
-Barbara: This movement started in Peru around 1999 but gained strength about six years ago. I met Abi when Efrain Sotacuro's manager invited us to a race. There was a group, organized by Victor Espinoza for 4 or 5 years, that helped visually impaired people run. When I had the chance to run with Abi, we posted a photo on Facebook and people started to share it. It seems that they only realized then that there are blind women who run.
—Abi: Until that time, only guys ran.

The Journey to the New York Marathon

—You ended up participating in the New York Marathon.
-Barbara: It was very difficult because we had to raise money for the tickets, apply for the visa... Aquiles Peru and Copa Airlines helped us with half of a ticket for Abigail. But Corina Garrido, her guide in that race, covered her expenses. Only three or four days before flying, we were able to buy the tickets.
-Abi: It's tough not having enough money for these things. It's tough not having the support of family, a like on Facebook, or the financial support to back you up. It hurts that I can't invite my guide to a bottle of water; instead, they end up inviting me to something.

About the Training

—Tell us more about the training...
-Barbara: It all starts with the desire of visually impaired athletes to be better and independent. It's mental, organizing your time, your work, your personal life. It's doing your laundry at 11 p.m. when you arrive, studying until 2 a.m., getting up at 5 a.m., going to the market once a week. That's the hidden part of a marathon.
-Abi: I run three times a week. Tuesdays and Thursdays in the evenings and Saturdays or Sundays in the mornings. We try to make the schedules not too complicated. For me, sports don't have to be a monastic and ascetic discipline.

Time Management

—You're preparing to enter university. How do you manage your time?
-Abi: Yes, I'm preparing to study Philosophy at the National University of San Marcos. I consider myself a good philosophy student who likes to run. From Monday to Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., I spend my time studying. The first time I couldn't get in because they didn't allow me to bring my special education materials.

Work and Studies

—You also work...
-Abi: Yes, I'm a street vendor. I work from Monday to Saturday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. At 7:30 p.m., I can come to run.
-Barbara: The government should count the people who have this functional diversity and give them a pension. It's incredible that they risk their lives as street vendors because no one wants to give them a job.
-Abi: I always say that I run because it makes me feel the opposite of philosophy. When I study philosophy, I think. When I run, I forget about everything. There should always be balance in life.

Never Giving Up

—Have you ever thought about giving up?
-Abi: Sometimes. But it's because sometimes there are no guides. They also have things to do, and it's a bit difficult to coordinate. On my part, I have a strong sense of duty, and what can happen is that the next day I wake up a little later, that's my rest.

Association of Blind Women

—How many guides are there?
-Barbara: We have an association of blind women. We all live together and help the girls integrate into society. Peru Runners and Victor Espinoza have similar initiatives. Now, thank God, we have about 25 or 30 visually impaired athletes and an average of 50 guides supporting them. Although the truly committed guides are about 20, to be honest. Abi is lucky to have three guides, soon to be four, who love her very much.

Abi's Achievements

—Abi, in how many races have you participated?
-Abi: They must be 13 or 14. Among them is the New York Marathon. Recently, in December, I went to visit my friends in Bolivia and participated in a race at 2,100 meters above sea level in Cochabamba.
-Barbara: In addition, she is the first blind woman born in Peru to run on sand, the first trail runner.

The Challenges of the Races

—What is the most complicated thing in these races?
-Barbara: Visually impaired people are extrasensory; they get overwhelmed by crowds. Abi had a problem in New York...
-Abi: I almost quit the marathon. Running with so many people made me feel too exposed, I felt a lot of violence. It's a way of saying that there's a lot of noise and excitement, everyone is very aggressive. Now, finding your guide is also complicated. They must be roughly your size, have a certain level of compatibility with you, and preferably be of the same gender.

The Ultimate Goal

—What goal remains?
-Barbara: Abi has the opportunity to complete the six most important marathons in the world. For that, we only need support.