The Trinity Trail in Fort Worth is a magnet for walkers, cyclists, dog walkers, and runners. Most of those activities are solitary, but for Scott Hudson and Lindsey Hudson, running is a team sport.
"We have it down to a rhythm," Lindsey Hudson said. "It's almost second nature."
The two Hudsons are not related in any way, but they are connected...by a tether.
"He just really needs somebody to lead him and let him know when something is coming that he's gonna stumble," Lindsey said. "Blind faith," Scott said laughing.
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Scott Hudson was born with a hereditary degenerative eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa. At 72 years old, he can only distinguish light and dark. Lindsey acts as Scott's eyes on the running trail.
"And the time flies by! You look down and you've done five or six miles,' Scott said. "It's so funny, when he gets excited he runs so fast that I do not feel the same way he does," Lindsey said laughing. "I'm like Scott, you gotta slow down!"
Scott said he's the talker. Lindsey is the quiet one. When she describes the environment, he sees it as he did 50 years ago.
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"The sounds of the birds, the crickets, it's just total stimulation," Scott said. "You feel so free, almost like out-of-body, and your feet are light, and you finish and feel so happy and energized. It's amazing!"
The help and encouragement between the runners is a two-way street.
"It was what I needed that I didn't realize I needed. I needed somebody just constantly encouraging me and just being there," Lindsey said. "I don't have a lot of those people in my life. He came along when I needed him."
Lindsey, a mother of three kids, will start medical school next week at Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine.
"This whole medical school process is brutal and just, I would constantly doubt myself and just not be sure of my capabilities, but I had my cheerleader over here," Lindsey said gesturing to Scott. "It's all about listening to the person and what their needs are," Scott said. "That's what's going to make her an exceptional physician."
For Scott, whose wife had dementia, running with Lindsey gave him someone to talk to, learn from, and share his positive spirit.
"It's been a lifesaver for me, to be honest," Scott said. "It's given me back the desire to live a full life."
