Blind PVHS Student Runs Disney Half Marathon

Kinzey Lynch, a legally blind Perkiomen Valley High School Student, started 2013 in a way that few high school students – regardless of sight – would imagine, according to Philly.com.

Lynch, who was born with two conditions that combine to severely limit vision in his left eye and only allow him to see colors and distances in his right, ran the Disney Half Marathon on Jan. 12 in just over one hour and 45 minutes.

Lynch ran with Melissa Wilcox, president of the Philadelphia chapter of Achilles International, which supports athletes with disabilities. He was sponsored by Cigna, which sponsored a total of six runners in the marathon.

Running has been a passion for Kinzey since middle school - in eighth grade, Lynch began running track as an alternative to wrestling.

"I was looking for a new hobby and a way I could socialize with my sighted peers," Lynch told Philly.com from his home in Collegeville. "I stumbled upon spring track. I kept showing up to the practices and eventually they had to let me run."

Now, Lynch runs on the PVHS cross-country team, and a substitute teacher serves as his guide.

For more on Lynch’s story, visit Jen A. Miller's story here.