“It just goes to show what people can do and achieve if they put their minds to it.”

Those are the words of a Great Sankey woman nominated for a prize at the Guide Dog of the Year Awards.

Kerry Singleton and her guide, Louise Shannon, 36 and from Helsby, are finalists in the ‘My Guide Partnership’ Award due to take place in London on December 9.

The Guide Dogs charity ‘My Guide’ service partners people with sight loss with specially trained volunteers, giving them confidence to get out and about.

The award recognises partnerships which have really made the most of the opportunity, demonstrating benefits to both the individual with sight loss and the volunteer.

Kerry had always loved running when she was a young girl but because of a hereditary degenerative eye condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa or RP, the 30-year-old heartbreakingly felt she could no longer carry on with her childhood hobby.

She said: "My sight loss meant I lost a lot of confidence and as a result I found it difficult to do the things I enjoyed previously."

Fortunately this all changed when she met Louise, a qualified running coach.

After jokingly saying to her Guide Dog mobility instructor that she would love to go running again, Kerry was immediately put in touch with Louise and after a meeting over coffee they 'hit the ground running'.

The pair started running on a regular basis and as their confidence built, so did their friendship.

Louise added: "We had no clue where we would be running or where the paths would bring us out but it was a great way of breaking the ice and made the partnership feel more like a team."

Louise added running had also 'given her back her life' as she started with the sport after suffering with 'poorly managed fibromyalgia' - a chronic pain and tiredness syndrome.

The pair are now preparing for their biggest challenge yet in the shape of the 2016 London Marathon.

Visit guidedogs.org.uk.