South Coast Ultra Challenge
On 7 September a team of nine blind veterans will be challenging themselves to walk a range of distances from 25km to 100km.
Together the group will set off from Eastbourne with those taking on the furthest distance arriving in Arundel after around 24 hours.
They aim to raise awareness of the support offered by our charity – in particular the impact of experiences like the rehabilitation weeks offered at our Centres of Wellbeing.
Last week, five of the group spent time at our Rustington Centre for one such week, building up their fitness and resilience to ready themselves for the mammoth task ahead of them.
During the week they completed a range of training walks including 21km from the Rustington Centre to Angmering Park Estate and 29km from Shoreham to Bignor. The week gave them confidence for the challenge and experience of the varying terrains they will encounter.
Meet some of the team ahead of the challenge and hear about why they have chosen to take part:
Wayne
Blind veteran Wayne, 65 and from Rugby, served in the Army for 18 years with the Royal Armoured Corps in Northern Ireland, Germany and the UK. Wayne will be walking 100km. He says:
“I used to walk this kind of distance while in the Army but haven’t done anything like this since losing my sight. It’s going to be tough but worthwhile.
“I’m taking part as an opportunity to raise awareness of the charity. To be part of a team raising money with a challenge of this scope is purposeful and meaningful.”
Wayne took part in the training week at Rustington. He says:
“The week in Rustington alongside my fellow walkers really motivated me; I’ve come home and am planning walks in my local area and am also going to Wales to walk in the Brecon Beacons with a friend which will include some night training.
“I’m hoping to finish in no more than 24 hours. This will be my first big charity fundraiser and I can’t think of a better cause. Blind Veterans UK is a special charity as it understands veterans and our needs. The charity gives us the confidence and supports us to take on challenges regardless of our age."
“At the age of 65, to take on, and hopefully conquer 100km, will be a very proud moment for me. I want to thank Blind Veterans UK, as without them, I wouldn’t be doing this.”
Blind veteran
Andy
Blind veteran Andy will be walking 100km with his wife Angie as his guide.
Andy joined the Army in 1992 and spent 19 years with the Royal Logistics Corps. It was at the age of 37 that retinitis pigmentosa caused a gradual decline in his sight which meant he was forced to retire early from the military. Andy says:
“Blind Veterans UK has invested a lot of time over the years to help me rebuild my life when I’d lost all hope. They made me realise what was possible and gave me the confidence to start doing physical activities again and get back to work.”
Andy is no stranger to taking on physical challenges for our charity, but this is a first for him. He says:
“This is a new challenge for me. I’ve completed 100km walks previously but have never walked in this area so although I am no stranger to the distance, it will be an unknown route so I am excited for that.”
Andy will need to recover quickly from this challenge as just one week after this event, he will be saddling up for the London to Brighton Cycle.
Jill
Blind veteran Jill, 64 and from Skegness, is joining the team for the first 25km section of the challenge. This is not a gentle stroll option and will see Jill climbing the Seven Sisters, a series of chalk cliffs.
Jill enlisted into the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps in 1979 and served as a nurse for four years.
It was in her 30s that Jill first felt that something wasn’t right with her sight. Jill has retinitis pigmentosa which is a hereditary eye condition. She says:
“I worked as a nurse and, at first, I was able to make my own adaptions to correct my eyesight. I found for example that the corridor lighting was low; I had to start standing by the window to read prescriptions and when making a cup of tea, I wouldn’t attempt to pour myself a full cup. I didn’t think much of these things at first so didn’t mention them to anyone.
“In 2009, I realised I was starting to miss things and make small mistakes at work which scared me and triggered anxiety, I was worried that it would be detrimental to the patients I was caring for.”
Jill started receiving the support of our charity in 2017, She says:
“Blind Veterans UK has helped me a lot with IT and technology which has meant I’ve been able to carry on with using email. I’m also part of their group of veterans who are of working age and this has been brilliant and helped me to get back to work.
“Taking part in this challenge is great for my wellbeing, walking and fresh air are so beneficial. I’ve always been a good walker but the most I have walked to date is around 10 miles, I am excited to push myself to complete the 25km."
“I used to live in Derbyshire and would walk in my local area on varying terrains but that was when I still had my sight, to do this with reduced vision will be the most challenging part for me."
Blind veteran
Jill continues:
“A few years ago I took part in a walking week at the charity’s Llandudno Centre. I wouldn’t have been able to do walks like we did during that week on my own. The support I had to get out and about was amazing and I can’t wait to get out there again with a team from the charity.”
Ian
Ian will be hiking 57km on day one of the event from Eastbourne to Hove Park.
Ian, 44 and from the Isle of Wight, enlisted into the Army in 2002, at 22 years old. He served for four years with the 2nd Battalion Royal Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment and carried out tours in Iraq, Kuwait and Northern Ireland.
In 2017, Ian lost his sight after he choked at home while eating dinner with his family. He says:
“My brain was starved of oxygen which has resulted in severe sight loss. A simple everyday activity changed my life overnight."
Ian's mobility and speech were also affected and he has had to learn to walk and talk again making his commitment to the challenge even more incredible.
Earlier this year Ian organised a 6km fundraising walk on the Isle of Wight to raise money for our charity but this time round he will be adding 50km to that distance. He says:
"The bimble I organised has got me excited to try new challenges and this time I will be alongside my fellow blind veterans which is a huge motivator. The recent week I spent at the charity's Rustington Centre has made me feel much more prepared."
The team of nine blind veterans are jointly fundraising for our charity. They hope to reach a minimum of £600 – the equivalent of the cost of a rehabilitation week stay at our Rustington Centre – enabling other veterans in the future to benefit from these weeks and participate in events like this one. You can help them to reach their target:
Have you been inspired by our blind veterans to take on a fundraising challenge of your own?
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