"Challenges are there to be overcome", said the recent winner of the Windsor Women's 10K to runABC news reporter Alan Newman. The race, promoted by Running4Women as part of the 40th Windsor Running Festival, was won by 46-year-old blind runner Rachael Elliott (Newbury AC) in 38:43 – only 1:43 slower than her PB set 16 years ago when she won the 2008 Yately 10K, representing Team Kennet.

The former Aldershot, Farnham and District athlete was born in Southampton, grew up in the New Forest, and was a committed club runner until, like many of us, she met her match in 2011 through the dreaded Plantar Fasciitis.

Before the debilitating foot injury, her best times were set in 2009 and range from 10:40.3 for 3000m to 1:20:29 to win the Shakespeare Half Marathon and 3:10:49 for victory in the unique Elbtunnel Marathon, Hamburg – 48 identical laps of 880 metres, 20 metres underground!

Like many injured runners, Elliott turned to cycling for her competitive outlet and racing in the colours of the Drag2Zero race team she won the RTTC National Closed Circuit Championships in October 2017, setting a British record for 30 miles (1:00:34) aged 39.

The next challenge for Elliott to overcome was a devastating Hemorrhagic Stroke – a life-threatening brain haemorrhage caused when a weakened blood vessel ruptures – that accounts for 13% of all stroke cases. Elliott explains: "My stroke was on 21st February 2018, ironically the day after I had set my best wind tunnel figures. I was cycle training at home when I felt dizzy, weak down one side, and started losing my vision straightaway."

The stroke has left Elliott with Parinaud's syndrome – a complex range of visual impairments that include severely blurred vision and difficulty looking up. But the priority in the hospital was learning to walk again. A friend brought an under-desk pedalling machine to the hospital and the first steps back toward fitness were taken almost immediately.

Recovering from such a huge blow when at the peak of fitness was tough but Elliott reckons her musical talents – she studied piano and violin – helped provide the patience and discipline that was necessary to overcome the stroke. Plus, of course, her love of parkrun, having set up the event at Greenham Common in 2012 following her foot injury. Elliott has volunteered over 300 times and has run almost 150 parkruns, with a best of 17:52 at Basingstoke in 2008 – and a post-stroke best of 20:08 at Newbury last month.

Elliott got back into cycling with extraordinary success as a mixed para-tandem rider, setting national records from 15 to 50 miles, before moving on to triathlons. And it was the quest for more speed at 10K for triathlon that had brought her to the Long Walk at Windsor Great Park, where she was guided by experienced England Athletics-licensed guide runner, Neal Jeffs (Road Runners Club) from Bracknell.

After Jeffs guided her to possibly the first open 10K race win by a blind female athlete, what's next for this talented multi-sports woman who genuinely doesn't see any barriers? Elliott has been bitten by the running bug (again) as she has entered, along with guide Jeffs, the Fleet 10K this Sunday (27 October).

As she re-introduces some interval training to supplement her four steady runs of 5K to 10K a week, plus 12 hours of bike training and some swimming, perhaps even that 16-year-old personal best is on borrowed time.

If you want to know more about becoming a guide runner visit England Athletics here or Scottish Athletics here.

Photo of Rachael Elliott and Neal Jeffs courtesy of Running4Women on Facebook