Kelly's London Marathon journey

Blind veteran Kelly is running the 2026 London Marathon and representing our charity which has supported her since she lost her sight.

Kelly, 44, and from Trowbridge in Wiltshire, will be taking on the iconic 26.2 mile route alongside four other blind veterans. Together they will demonstrate the amazing achievements that are possible after sight loss. 
 
Over 30 supporters will also be joining our team and together our blind veterans and supporters will run to raise awareness of our work and fundraise to ensure more blind veterans like Kelly can receive support.

Training

Kelly has run the London Marathon once before and is hoping to finish in a quicker time than in 2015 when she last ran.  
  
Kelly has accomplished many sporting achievements including competing twice in the Invictus Games for Team GB and in the Veteran Games and she has run several marathons and half marathons in the past. 

Busy preparing for the challenge, Kelly has been training on her treadmill at home and taking part in her local parkrun in Trowbridge every weekend with different guides from her running club, the Avon Valley Runners. Three days a week Kelly has been training at the gym with Olly, her personal trainer for strength and conditioning and she’s also been completing bike rides with her tandem pilot Mike and going out for rides with her cycle club, the Westbury Wheelers. Kelly says:

“Members of the Avon Valley Runners have been trained to act as my guide runner and I would like to say a huge thank you to them, and to those at my gym and the Westbury Wheelers, for their ongoing support and enabling me to train regularly, getting my miles up and getting my legs working.”

On the day Kelly will be supported along the route by her wife Sarah and their daughter Bethany who are always by her side.

An extra special Remembrance

In November, Kelly proudly led our contingent, alongside her guide dog Archie, at the Cenotaph for Remembrance. Together they made a small piece of history by being the first blind veteran and guide dog duo to take on the role. 

Kelly and her family received an additional surprise that weekend. The family are all huge Arsenal fans and were excited to be watching Arsenal Women take on Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on the Saturday ahead of Kelly marching at the Cenotaph on Sunday. Kelly says:

“Football is a big part of our lives; I used to play for the British Army while I was serving and Bethany plays for Bristol City’s Cerebral Palsy team.” 

Arsenal discovered the significance of the family’s visit to London for the weekend and truly made it a day they will never forget.  
 
After the match, the family were taken pitch side to meet their heroes. Bethany’s favourite player is Alessia Russo who presented her with a signed match shirt.  
 
Bethany wasn’t the only one to meet her hero, Kelly and Sarah were honoured to meet Kelly Smith and Rachel Yankey. The family also met captain Kim Little and defender Lotte Wubben-Moy. Kelly says:

“We got back to our hotel room on Saturday night and were taking in what had happened that day. We have memories that will last a lifetime and many special photos of the day to look back on. Bethany told us it was the best day of her entire life."

Sight loss journey

Kelly joined the Army in 1998 and served until 2005 with the Adjutant General’s Corps. She suffered a stroke at the age of 23 as a result of an auto-immune condition that causes blood clots. The stroke changed her life overnight. She says:

 “I found myself suddenly becoming a blind veteran at the age of 23, I lost my sight and my career. The charity saved my life; I owe them a great deal. They took me in after I lost my sight and have taken care of me ever since. I’ve met so many inspirational people, both my fellow blind veterans and staff who have shaped my life. I am so proud to be a blind veteran and I wouldn’t be who I am today if I wasn’t."

Kelly and her fellow blind veterans are jointly fundraising and aim to raise a minimum of £1,250. This amount is the equivalent of each team member receiving a one-day bespoke training session in their own home from a Community Support Worker or Rehabilitation Officer for the Visually Impaired.

These team members work with blind veterans to help them overcome the barriers created by sight loss to undertake everyday tasks that they may otherwise struggle with independently. 

You can help Kelly and the team fundraise to ensure more blind veterans can receive our support: