Screenland 5K Runner Sees Paralympics in Unique Lens

The Paralympic Opening Ceremony will be held for the first time outside a stadium.

This week, more than 4,000 athletes worldwide will parade through the iconic Avenue des Champs-Elysees to Place de la Concorde to the cheers of 60,000 spectators in the French capital.

Screenland 5K runner Sonya Chapnick will not be able to witness this historical moment or the Paris Games through Sep. 8. Still, she will feel the power of community as she listens to the broadcast or runs in her neighborhood.

Chapnick, who ran her first race, the Screenland 5K, last March, is blind.

Chapnick said her Culver City book club friends motivated her to run in the local event, which will celebrate the Heart of Screenland's glitz, glamour, glory, and gold on Oscar Sunday, Mar. 2, 2025.

She clung to an 18-inch rope tethered to distance runner Jennifer Aronson, whom she met only two days before the Screenland 5K.

"I was going to walk with my book club friends but wanted to see if I could actually run the race," said Chapnick.

"I asked myself, 'What's the worst that would happen?' I'm not a quitter. I wanted to test my limits and prove I could do it," Chapnick, 59, said.

Using Aronson's verbal cues and subtle movements, Chapnick finished 25th in her age division (40:56) among 2,600 walkers and runners.

"I could sense and feel the rhythms of the race, as I instinctually moved left and right alongside Jennifer. It was a special," said Chapnick, who was diagnosed in her late 20s with a degenerative eye disease.

"I loved the community aspect. Everyone was out there having fun, people playing music and cheering us on. The enthusiasm was inspiring. I loved the lady playing the piano. All of that helped keep the momentum. I loved it," said Chapnick.

Aronson described the course features along the way to her running partner.

She told me about the cool cutouts we would pass, the characters and performers, and the people giving me high fives," Chapnick said.

Her success at the Screenland 5K has Chapnick exploring other recreational opportunities.

"I want to test my athleticism. I'll join a cycling club and will run my first marathon." She walks 5-7 miles a day.

Chapnick has grown to see obstacles or challenges as opportunities.

"When doctors told me in my 20s, I was going to be blind, I gave up. I felt my life was over," she said.

Chapnick said she needed two years to reorganize her thoughts and diminish the fear of what might happen to her as a blind person.

"I would say to myself, 'I'll be OK. It's hard, but it's not over."

Today, Chapnick says she enjoys and embraces challenges.

Chapnick skis, takes photos, shoots around with her daughter in basketball, teaches yoga, and prepares to participate in her first LA Marathon after she runs in the 2025 Screenland 5K.

"I know I need a team, must trust others, be accepting of my limitations, and make it fun," she said.

She said she felt the intensity and excitement at the starting line and appreciated the comic relief offered by Screenland 5K trainer David Winslow, who stood next to her dressed as a Culver City bus.

When informed he finished third overall in the costume contest, she said, "No way! He should have won!"

Prepare for the ultimate Hollywood experience and join the celebration of extraordinary stars, legendary motion pictures, and groundbreaking film technologies on Oscar Sunday. Register for over 50% off race day prices at http://www.Screenland5K.com.

photos

BUS STOP-Screenland 5K runner Sonya Chapnick, who is blind, flanks her running partner Jennifer Aronson and Screenland 5K trainer David Winslow dressed as a Culver City bus.

PARTNERS-Sonya Chapnick, who is blind, is tethered to her running partner, Jennifer Aronson, in the Screenland 5K.

STARS-- Sonya Chapnick, who is blind, displays her finisher's medal with running partner, Jennifer Aronson, at the Screenland 5K Health and Fitness Expo. Chapnick finished 25th in her age division (40:56) among 2,600 walkers and runners.