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Trevor Thomas Blind Hiker
A Legend Retires
From the first moment I met Tennille at Guide Dogs for the Blind, I could tell that she was special. At that time, I had no idea just how important she would be to my personal development and to my career. For nearly seven years she has devoted her life to keeping me safe while we traveled the country as I pushed the limits of what a blind man and his guide dog can achieve working together.
Over the years, she has enabled me to achieve much more than I ever dreamed possible. I owe much of my success to her partnership and endless devotion. Through everything, she has been by my side, step by step, tackling every challenge that we faced together. Her abilities have become legendary, and she has proven time and time again, that we have not begun to realize the abilities of these special animals. Tennille is truly exceptional in the company of some very amazing dogs.
More importantly, she is my best friend, and I consider myself fortunate to have her as my partner. It is for this reason that I am sad to announce that Tennille has let me know that she is ready to retire. This week, she will be hanging up her backpack and taking off her harness for the last time. Now, we will go where she wants to go and do what she wants to do.
She will be ending her career having hiked more than 10,000 miles, completing 6 thru hikes,and summitting some of the tallest mountains in the US. Though shoe will no longer be my working guide, her story will not end here. I will be keeping er, and it is my hope that she will be a mentor for my next guide dog.
I have enjoyed sharing our adventures, and want to thank all who have helped us over the years and throughout our travels.