Bill and Kerry Brett's 'Inspirational Women'

Leslie Nordin, mom to Sawyer (shown here, and the only male in the book) and his little sister, Riley, believes that her son, who was born blind, can take on anything life throws at him. She wants Sawyer to feel empowered, but she also felt a need to experience for herself the challenges he faces on a daily basis. So she ran the 2009 Boston Marathon — blindfolded. With the help of two friends and her husband, Dayton, Leslie ran the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston in a remarkable 4 hours, 17 minutes, 48 seconds. And she didn't just run; she raised nearly $33,000 for the Perkins School for the Blind, where her son attends preschool.