Guide dog ready for sporting challenge

- 28 October 2008

A CHAMPION Paralympian is starting training for the 2012 games with a new canine companion at her side.

Blind judo expert, Maxine Ingram has slowly been retiring Ronnie the retriever-labrador cross — her constant companion for the past nine years — and has just been successfully matched with her next canine companion.

Gino, also a retriever-labrador cross, is set to take over duties from Ronnie on November 24.

Maxine, who lives in Trimsaran, said he would play a big part in helping her achieve her aim of competing in the London 2012 Paralympics.

"It's not an easy process to find the right dog," said Maxine, who initially experienced a mismatch with one dog before she found Ronnie, nine years ago.

"Gino has undergone rigorous training, but he hit it off straight away — with me and with Ronnie — and it looks like he'll become just as much of a fixture mat-side as Ronnie has been."

The process of finding a new dog began in January, when 27-year-old Maxine applied to the charity Guide Dogs For The Blind for a new four-legged friend.

She was only matched with Gino last Tuesday and has been elated by how well they work together.

And while Ronnie will be living a life of leisure he will not be going anywhere, remaining living with Maxine and her family for the rest of his years.

"I'm going to miss not having him with me at every moment but Gino looks like a great successor to him," added Maxine, who competed in the Athens games in 2004, but just missed the cut for this year's Beijing games.

"I'll be spending three weeks with Gino at his training centre in Cardiff from November 24, getting to know him and then we'll be bringing him home."

Ronnie's retirement comes just weeks after he beat 4,600 other dogs to make it to the finals of the Guide Dog of the Year 2008.

Vicky Bell, of the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, said: "The Guide Dog of the Year awards recognise some of those dogs that — like Ronnie — are truly outstanding, having completely changed the life of their owner, shown outstanding work or gone above and beyond the call of duty in their amazing work."

Credit - www.llanellistar.co.uk