Legally Blind Aurora Ortiz Finishes Chelsea’s Run

Balboa Park was awash with thousands of runners on the morning of Saturday, March 3. They were taking part in the second annual 5K run organized by the Chelsea's Light Foundation, which raises money to fund the Sunflower College Scholarships that honor the memory of Chelsea King.

As a volunteer holding signs along the running course, I watched in amazement as a legally blind, partially deaf, and disabled runner by the name of Aurora Ortiz jogged by my station. She used a white cane to clear a path near the curbside as she made progress.

Later on, I spoke with Ortiz, who tearfully said that she ran the race "in honor of her sister, who was kidnapped and raped in her native Puerto Rican homeland."

Ortiz, the current president of the Blind Community Center of San Diego, has run the Carlsbad Marathon numerous times. She finished Chelsea’s Run in 46 minutes.