Face of the Day

They sit with shoulders touching and hands bound by a rope but that’s where the similarities end.

As Mike Asmussen tries to find words the cancer in his brain is trying to steal, the man who has been his blind running guide and friend wipes his eyes.

It’s an emotional time for both of them after Asmussen found out six weeks ago that he had terminal cancer and very little time.

For guide Mark Boon and those that know the runner, it’s a cruel twist in the life of a man who has inspired so many.

But Asmussen’s having none of it and intends on doing what he always has – until the day he can’t.

There’s even stubborn talk of a half marathon in January.

“Its important for me to set goals and try and do something every day to make the community better,” he says in the lounge of his Christchurch home, with running shoes not far from his feet.

Legally blind from birth with just 10% sight in his left eye, Asmussen has never allowed the impairment to get in the way – a legacy he puts down to the way he was raised.

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