Content submitted by Tufts Health Plan. If you have news, email news@westfordcat.org.
Westford resident Helene Forte didn’t cross the finish line alone this weekend at the Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women. Forte, the Vice President of Public Plans Emerging Markets at Tufts Health Plan, was one of seven employees serving as a sighted guide for blind or visually impaired athletes from Team with A Vision, an initiative of the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (MABVI).
Tina Luce crossed the finish line alongside Forte. Luce is a music therapist and worship leader from Salem, MA. Luce, who has Retinopathy of prematurity (a disease of the eye affecting prematurely-born babies), is a blind runner who took up the sport a few years ago, using an interval timer app and a treadmill because she didn’t have many training partners. Since she started running, she’s taken on 5ks, 10ks, and half and full marathons. Her current favorite distances are the 5 or 10K. This was Tina’s first and Helene’s 12th time racing in the Tufts Health Plan 10k for Women.
“I signed up to be a sighted guide because I wanted to help someone enjoy running. I am in awe of the Team With a Vision runners, and am so grateful to have this experience two years in a row running with them. It was truly inspirational,” said Forte. “Tina did an awesome job, and we finished the race strong. She was recovering from an injury that occurred before the race, but she pushed through. I am so proud to have crossed the finish line with her.”
“The mission of Tufts Health Plan is realized every day by our generous and compassionate employees,” said Tom Croswell, President and CEO of Tufts Health Plan. “We are thrilled to have partnered with the great team at MABVI and extend this opportunity to these dedicated athletes.”
“With so few races in New England incorporating blind or visually impaired divisions, we think it’s important to give these dedicated athletes who are blind or visually impaired the opportunity to compete alongside everyone else and inspire others around the world,” said Barbara Salisbury, CEO of MABVI. “We are so happy to be working with Tufts Health Plan, an organization that shares our beliefs in empowerment and healthy living.”
This is the second year that Tufts Health Plan has partnered with MABVI’s Team with a Vision to pair Tufts Health Plan employees with blind and visually impaired runners as guides. Runners in the blind and visually impaired division join participants of all ages and abilities including elite athletes, wheelchair and hand cycle racers, recreational runners and walkers.
Team With A Vision is an international team of runners who are visually impaired, sighted guides, and fundraisers who race to support individuals throughout Massachusetts living with vision loss. Their efforts allow MABVI to deliver professional, peer, and volunteer support to over 1,200 individuals each year, giving them the support they need to live with dignity and independence.
