Homeless blind artist finds escape on marathon route

Lord Frederick ran alongside his friends.

Born in 1966 in Jamaica, Queens (New York), Lord Frederick – the name he chose for himself to maintain his "gentlemanly" spirit – soon felt the harshness of life in a prejudiced society.

An unhappy life in a place of discrimination

As a person of color and a gay artist living on the margins of society, Frederick has faced discrimination many times. He said: "I walk down the street and people don't see me as an artist, they see me as a poor black guy who is gay. And now blind. But I don't let them define me."

Frederick lost his sight completely in 1994 due to a congenital defect and many eye complications. That milestone seemed to be the end of the young artist's life, but he saw it as a turning point: "I lost my eyes, but I did not lose my dream. And in the darkness, I found another light - the light of faith."

Many years later, he became homeless and had to rely on the community for help. During his wandering days in San Francisco, Frederick both made a living and created art using many different materials.

But what pained him was not only hunger and cold, but also the indifference of society:
"In a city that was once hailed as welcoming, I still feel cold. People can walk past you as if you don't exist."

However, in that bustling city, Frederick found a new path - the marathon, where every step becomes an affirmation of one's self-worth.

Motivation from a 3-legged dog

Frederick began running in the harshest conditions: no stadium, no coach, and no specialized equipment. He had only old shoes, a body accustomed to suffering, and the occasional friend who volunteered to hold his hand.

"People think I'm blind and can't run. But I tell them I run with my heart, not my eyes," he said.

In many interviews, Frederick often mentioned the philosophy he learned from marathons: "Every mile is a challenge. But when you overcome it, you understand that no pain is meaningless. I ran not just to reach the finish line, but to remind myself that I was still alive, and to live life to the fullest."

Lord Frederick was completely blind on the run.

Once, when asked what kept him going in life, Frederick told the story of a three-legged dog he once met: "It ran on the grass, happy and joyful. I told it myself: 'You don't have four legs, but you still run. So can I. I don't have eyes, but I can still live a full life.'"

That story became a testament to Frederick's deep belief in liberation from inferiority. For him, marathon was not just a sport , but a philosophy of life: "When you are blind, you do not run to see the scenery. You run to feel the wind on your skin, to hear your heart beat, to know that you are free."

He often shares a short sentence with friends and beloved audiences: "Running is my song, the poem I write with my body."

Peace in every step

Marathon became the door that opened a new self for Frederick – an artist who could not see the light but spread light to others. He said: "I may be poor, I may be homeless, I may be blind. But I am not unhappy. Unhappiness is when you have everything but do not realize the meaning of life."

The long marathons helped him train both physically and mentally. Every time he reached the finish line, Frederick felt a sense of peace: "I don't need anyone's praise. I just need to know that I have conquered myself. That is liberation."

He also did not forget to send a message to those in the same situation: "Don't think that disability takes away everything. It only takes away a part, and you have many other parts to make miracles. People call me 'Lord', but in fact that title is not to make me superior to anyone, but to remind me to always behave like a gentleman, even in poverty."

Lord Frederick runs across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

For Frederick, the marathon was a protest against social discrimination. There, no skin color, gender or disability could stop him. "The race doesn't ask who you are. It just asks: Are you willing to keep going," he once shared.

Today, despite the difficulties of housing and work, Lord Frederick continues to create art, pursues his dream of opening a doll museum, and participates in long-distance running. He says: "When I run, I remember the words of the Bible: Walk by faith, not by sight. Walk by faith, not by sight."

It is a portrait of a blind artist, a marathon runner, a free spirit – Lord Frederick. Life may have started with misfortune, but with each step he ran, he turned suffering into strength, darkness into light, and the absence of eyes into a deeper perspective than anyone else.

Source: https://znews.vn/nghe-si-mu-vo-gia-cu-tim-loi-thoat-tren-duong-chay-marathon-post1589206.html