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12 WHARF TO WHARF SATURDAY, JULY 22, 2017 SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL b y C A L v I N M E N SEEING thE CoUrSE a LIttLE DIffErENt O ne of the first things notice about Joseph Raineri is his penchant for puns. He usually incorporates one or two into the 6 a.m. fitness classes he teaches. but one thing that people sometimes don't notice immediately: His blindness. "It's pretty amazing to demonstrate to people that just because I can't see 'em doesn't mean I don't know what they're doing or not doing," said the 63-year-old trainer. He has retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye disorder that creates a breakdown in the retina, the light sensitive tissue in the back of the eye. Though he started to lose his vision at 13, he didn't let it stop him. Nor did it get in the way of his three brothers, each of inherited the gene and gradually lost their vision over the years. "It's an inconvenience," said Raineri's brother, Mark Raineri. "but I wouldn't say it's the most important thing in my life. We all have our inconveniences we have to get over. And we all need to focus on what's important and what's not important. so I try not to focus on it." And the two won't focus on it when they run the 45th annual Wharf to Wharf on July 23. The two plan to run the race with their sons as their guides. It's been an on-again, off-again tradition for the family to run the race since their mother bought some Capitola property about 15 years ago. both brothers credit their mother, Nadine Raineri, with their attitude. There was no sense of feeling sorry for themselves. "I think we were raised to participate, play and function normally. Just like any other kid," Joseph Raineri said. Joseph channeled those lessons his mother engrained in him into a life of fitness. Things he's checked off his list are marathons and triathlons. In the early days of triathlon, he made it to the pinnacle of the sport when he raced the Ironman World Championship — 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles running — in Hawaii during the 1980s. During that time, his guide — a partner who races alongside a blind runner to help — fell had to drop out during the bike leg. so Joseph finished the race on his own with the help of people along the course. "I'm just dreading this. Trying to run in the dark. I'm calling out to people who are on the side of the road. And people jumped in and took care of me. They ran with me and I held onto their elbow," he said. CoNtINUES oN 13 NaDINE wIth 5 of hEr 6 KIDS L to r: MarK, PattI, waLtEr (BaCK), NaDINE (froNt), JoSEPh aND KIM DAN COyRO - sANTA CRuz sENTINEL

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