HELPING HAND: Caroline Boulding with guide and friend Kerry Southwick and Matt Barbet from Five News who is doing a report on their training.

A DEAF and blind woman is training for the London Marathon tied to a friend who will be her guide for the 26 miles. Caroline Boulding, 40, from Dartford, faces a tougher challenge than most having been born deaf and gradually losing her sight since she w

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A DEAF and blind woman is training for the London Marathon tied to a friend who will be her guide for the 26 miles.

Caroline Boulding, 40, from Dartford, faces a tougher challenge than most having been born deaf and gradually losing her sight since she was 26.

On Sunday, April 25 she is due to take part in her first marathon, guided by her work colleague friend Kerry Southwick, from Swanley.

The couple, who work at Acacia Fitness Centre in Dartford, will raise money for the deaf and blind charity Sense.

Caroline Boulding said: "I'm really pleased to be braving the London Marathon for Sense as it offers a vital lifeline to deaf and blind people, offering them support and skills to live as independently as possible.

"I would like to thank all of my friends who have sponsored me for my marathon run so far and I am still appealing for sponsorship for my run so please dig deep and support me today."

With very limited vision she can see only in a restricted form of tunnel vision. She suffers from a condition called Usher type 2 syndrome, meaning people are often born without hearing and gradually begin to lose their sight.

Acting as her eyes and ears during the race, her guide revealed the pair have been become quite an eye-catching sight in during training.

A spokesperson for Sense said: "They have both been training hard around Dartford and are getting a lot of attention.

"Kerry tells us they are turning a lot of heads and getting a lot of support during their training around Central Park."

n To sponsor them visit www.justgiving.com/kerry-southwarklondonmarathon2010 and to find out more about the charity visit www.sense.org.uk.