Blind Runner Set to Run First Half-Marathon in Kalamazoo

Sunday is the Kalamazoo Marathon, and few runners are looking forward to it as much as Jessica Hodges.

 According to WWMT Newschannel 3, Hodges was born with retinal blastoma, which is a cancer of the retinas. She had to undergo surgery to have her eyes removed at the age of four.  Being totally blind hasn't stopped Hodges from reaching her goals, including being a 3-time paralympic swimmer.  Now she's adding the half-marathon to the list.

It took Hodges three months to find a partner to help her compete.

"We've really had to learn all this by ourselves, pretty much from square one, how to do it," Joe Trupp, Hodges' running guide, told WWMT.

"It's really important to me I run the entire thing," said Hodges, who told Newschannel 3 that she'll be spending the rest of the week resting, stretching, and eating plenty of carbs.

We'll be cheering for Jessica on race day this weekend.