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A Greater Purpose

Zac Cohen has been a runner nearly all his life. His father, owner of an athletic shoe store and an avid runner himself, always encouraged Zac to run when he was growing up. As early as 11 years old, Zac was competing in local races and discovering a great love for the sport. He always harbored the desire to compete in a triathlon, but never found the motivation to actually train for one.

Pauline with Zac

Then Zac, now 31 years old and still an active runner, learned of the Race to Cure Blindness program through a friend who was competing in the New York Marathon. His friend was using the program to raise money for critical retinal disease research funded by the Foundation Fighting Blindness. This cause hit close to home for Zac. His Great Aunt Pauline, the matriarch and oldest-living member of his family – just a couple years shy of 100 – suffers vision loss due to age-related macular degeneration.

Inspired, he decided to compete in the South Beach Triathlon as a Race to Cure Blindness participant. “I thought this program would be a great platform to raise awareness, raise money in the name of my Great Aunt Pauline, and give me inspiration to run the race,” says Zac. “This will be my first triathlon and any extra incentive that I can find to run this race is a bonus. The Race to Cure Blindness program gave me a greater purpose and an added goal.”

Zac’s Great Aunt Pauline has been battling macular degeneration for 15 years. She has lost a significant amount of vision in that time, but has managed to keep a positive attitude. “It’s amazing how resilient she has been,” says Zac. “It’s inspiring.” Fortunately, Pauline’s son and grandson both work as ophthalmologists and they have been helping her manage the disease. “When I told her that I was running this race, she was so excited,” remembers Zac.

Using the online fundraising tools, Zac created a Race to Cure Blindness page to tell his Great Aunt Pauline’s story. He sent the information out to several close friends and family and received an incredible outpouring of support. Within a week, Zac had raised more than $1,000. “I was really impressed with the amount people gave,” recalls Zac. He is still working hard to fundraise and now has a new goal to reach $2,000.

“It’s all part of giving back,” says Zac, who has been an active volunteer for many years. He worked as a Big Brother for 10 years, has offered free legal services to underprivileged people for many years, and volunteers in soup kitchens throughout the holidays.

The Race to Cure Blindness program was a catalyst for introducing Zac to the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Having always been close to his Great Aunt Pauline, Zac was happy to learn of the Foundation’s mission and that there was a way he could contribute. He is now excited to participate in the Foundation’s national fundraising event, VisionWalk, in South Florida.

Zac also uses the Foundation as a resource for staying informed on the latest macular degeneration research. “I get a great sense of hope,” he says. “The medical breakthroughs that are happening are amazing.” Reading about the research is another way Zac stays inspired to train and complete the triathlon.

Zac’s Great Aunt Pauline promised to come out on the day of the race to greet him at the finish line with a great, big hug. “I’m going to make it to that finish line, I have a reservation with it,” says Zac. “I may not have the best time in the world, but I hope I can make my Great Aunt Pauline proud and that’s really why I’m doing this.”