Jessie Rix is a New York native who has spent years running marathons. Since she had been running for so long, she decided that she was ready for a new challenge.

That’s why Jessie signed up for Achilles International, a charity that helps disabled people compete in mainstream athletics. Jessie loved the Achilles mission, which is “to promote personal achievement, enhance self esteem, and lower barriers to living a fulfilling life.”

“It was a way for me to volunteer doing something I loved,” Jessie said.

Jessie’s first assignment with Achilles saw her being paired up with Anthony Butler, a blind man who she bonded with instantly.

“I remember seeing him and he was just like the funnest person there and having the time of his life,” Jessie recalled. “He had a ton of people around him talking, laughing. And I’m like, I want to run with that guy.”

As Anthony and Jessie trained for the marathon, their feelings for each other started to grow.

“It’s a very intimate sport,” Anthony said. “I mean, you get to trust people. And me being blind, I have to have trust in that person guiding me and making sure I don’t hurt myself. So that’s why there’s so much giving and receiving between both parties.”

“When you’re training for a marathon, you’re spending probably 12 hours a week with someone,” he added. “So you’re there for a lot, like when someone loses their job or when someone gets out of a relationship, or someone’s just having a hard day. While they’re running, which is a release, they’re also venting to you, their companion.”

Anthony and Jessie soon realized that they were in love!

Anthony was blinded at the age of 20 in a random shooting that left him incredibly depressed. Anthony was even homeless for some time after the shooting, but he refused to give up on himself.

“I didn’t know what to do. You know, I just lost my confidence,” Anthony said. “I got hit in my face, so I wasn’t sure how I looked. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to be able to attract a woman or not.”

“He’s got an amazing perspective on everything and I’ve learned so much from him,” Jessie added. “It’s really changed my entire outlook on everything.”

Jessie and Anthony have now been together for two years! Jessie would like their story to serve as a reminder that disabilities don’t need to hold you back from anything, and that something good can happen to you if you just put yourself out there!

“If you don’t put yourself out there, you don’t know what you’re missing,” she said. “I just went out on a Tuesday to go volunteer and go for a run. [Anthony] did the same thing… You really don’t know, just by saying yes to something, what that’s gonna do for your future.”