May 14, 2025
On March 20, 2024, Brian Anderson packed a gym bag and took it to work, planning to head to the gym when his workday ended. As often happens, Anderson was tired after work and thought about skipping the gym. Today, more than a year after he forced himself to stop at the gym before going home, Anderson acknowledges the progress he’s made and the challenges he’s accepted out of desire to continue pushing himself.
Anderson, arts and accessibility coordinator at Clovernook Center, completed The Flying Pig half marathon, a challenge he set for himself in February 2025. Anderson, who is visually impaired, was inspired by talking to friends and coworkers who have previously run the marathon.
“It’s always been on my bucket list to do a marathon,” Anderson said. “I want to destroy the stereotype that being blind or visually impaired should prevent you from doing certain things. And I like the challenge of competing against myself and being better than before.”
Anderson ran the marathon without the use of a guide runner or tether. Instead, he used landmarks, signage and his iPhone’s magnification tool to navigate the course. He completed the half-marathon in 2:28:57, beating the goal of 3 hours he had set for himself.
“My son, he’s 12 years old, he thinks its really cool and he’s excited for me,” Anderson said. “This is my coming out party. I’m all about pushing myself. I’m very competitive and I didn’t want to start small. Hopefully this is the first of many races.”
Back to News