John McKay Doesn’t Let His Blindness Prevent Him from Exploring the World


John McKay won’t let something like blindness prevent him from running outside and experiencing the world and nature.

John McKay

John McKay

Running is hard enough, but can you imagine running trails when you can’t clearly see the difference between the trail and a tree root? Not only does John love running, but his favorite place to run are trails, where he definitely has a hard time seeing some of the hazards that he must navigate.

But he won’t let a few scrapes stop him.

This Episode Sponsored by Runner Box

This Episode Sponsored by Runner Box

In addition to talking about how he’s able to adapt to running with his blindness, we talked about his other passion which is rock climbing and bouldering.

Here are a few of the highlights from my chat with John.

  • An issue at birth that ultimately led to his blindness
  • Going out for the cross country team in high school and college
  • Being fully embraced by his high school teammates as a member of the team
  • Things he’s learned about himself as a runner
  • The dynamics of running with a guide
  • Being a competitive rock climber as well as a runner
  • How making a blind joke helped him get into rock climbing via Catalyst Sports
  • How to react/interact to runners that have visual impairments

If you’d like to connect with John, you can find him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.


Don’t forget to support Runner Box by signing up for a subscription or sending a gift box to a running friend.

  • Use promo code DIZRUNS to save 50% on the first box of any subscription.
  • Use promo code DIZRUNSGIFT and save $5 on the price of any one box sent as a gift (includes holiday box, birthday box, and race survival kit).

And feel free to reach out to Runner Box on Twitter and thank them for sponsoring this show and to learn more about the great service that Staci and crew provide.


Subscribe to the Show

Never miss another episode of the Diz Runs With podcast by subscribing to the show, and for my fellow Apple fans out there, it’s never been easier now that the podcast app is native on the new operating system.

iPhone/iPod/iPad users click here.

Android users click here.

SoundCloud users click here.

Please Give Me Some Feedback!

Take the 6 question listener survey to help me shape the future of this podcast.

Register for a Free Race Training Plan

Every month, I’m giving away a free training plan for the race of your choice. For details/information, and to sign up, just click here.

Join The Tribe!

There’s always room for more members of the tribe!

Both the Facebook group and the email group provide opportunities that can’t be found anywhere else.

The Facebook group is still small, but it is a great way to connect with fellow runners and foster community amongst like minded individuals. The email group is THE way to stay up to date about future guests on the show, as well as getting some other freebies and offers that aren’t available to anyone else.

If you’ve got questions about either/both, just let me know!

0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *