Blind trust: Vision-impaired NC woman runs with husband by her side from start to finish
DAVIDSON, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – When you take true love and run with it, the possibilities are inspiring.
“We rely on each other,” says Susan Moriceau, who competes in everything: 5Ks, half-marathons, and marathons with her husband Laurent.
“I think our marriage is even stronger because of the running,” she told Queen City News.
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The Moriceaus are there for each other from start to finish. Their tandem approach to long-distance running is also a heartwarming show of love and support.
“I think we’re a pretty good team,” said Susan.
At Fisher Farm Park in Davidson, a sign encourages visitors to “Share the Greenway.” That’s where the Moriceaus see many smiling couples.
Laurent Has made great strides by holding a rope that keeps his wife safe.
“Left?” she asked, as they ran down the route.
“Going straight,” Laurent directs her.
“He’s wanting me to go right or left. It’s almost like a horse,” Susan explains.
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“And then sometimes, she’ll start running on her own ahead of me so I’m like, ‘Stop!’” Laurent says.
Five years ago, with her husband by her side, Susan began running towards the scary reality of blindness.
“It came about the time that my vision started to significantly deteriorate, and it gave me a purpose,” said Susan.
She was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at the age of five. Her vision declined over the years and now she only sees light and shadows.
“It’s really scary. I guess if you imagine running with a blindfold that you can’t take off,” Susan said.
“If it’s not scary, it’s easy,” she says, describing why she’s so determined to challenge herself.
In January, Team Moriceau took on the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Their four races included a 5K, 10K, and half-marathon culminating with a 26.2-mile trek at the “Happiest Place on Earth.”
As usual, they were connected at the hip and with a rope from start to finish.
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“Even though I rely on him every race that we do, sometimes he tells me that he relies on me for the motivation to get out and run,” says Susan.
“I have no idea how she can overcome, and the amount of trust she has to have in me to be able to go run this long,” Laurent said.
The couple’s next race is closer to home. They’ll run with their two sons at the Lake Norman Half Marathon on May 12.
Their trust in each other has been building for 25 years since their wedding day in France. Back then, Susan could see Laurent’s face.
“I knew then that we would be married forever,” she says.
Blindness hasn’t changed her view of the love of a lifetime. Years after tying the knot, the rope they run with is symbolic of their devotion.
“The tie is there,” Susan said.
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