Well done to our South Coast Ultra challengers
We want to say a huge congratulations to ten of our blind veterans who successfully crossed the finish line of their chosen distances as they completed the South Coast Ultra.
At 8.30am on 6 September our veterans, support staff, volunteers and a team from Evolve Commercial, which included the son of one of our blind veteran challengers, set off from Eastbourne to walk 25km, 57km or 100km along the South Downs Way.
The group are now resting their aching legs and blistered feet, with some already considering taking on the challenge again next year!
There is still time to show your support for our blind veterans:
Each veteran or supporter had their own reason for taking part. Find out how they got on:
Jerry
Jerry, 62, walked the full 100km alongside his guide Anne, who works for our charity as a Volunteer Coordinator. The pair crossed the finish line in 28 hours and 16 minutes and Jerry was the 256th finisher for the event. He says:
“The event was mentally and physically tough. Walking through the night was harder than I thought it would be as where my head torch shone on the ground, was just at the place I couldn’t see but luckily Anne had a glow stick attached to the back of her bag and I was able to follow that.
“I wore a lot of preventative plasters and luckily escaped any blisters. We took eight breaks along the way which gradually increased in length. The final stop we had an hour-long breakfast and lots of cups of tea.”
Jerry served in the RAF for 13 years. Problems with his sight surfaced in 1996 when he left the RAF but it wasn’t until 2003 that he was diagnosed with stargardt disease which is a genetic eye condition. He says:
“Everyone has one blind spot in each eye but with stargardt disease you have three and mine are growing; I’ve lost my central vision. I also have Charles Bonnet syndrome which means I see things that are not there."
“Since being supported by the charity, my confidence to try new things has grown. I’d never walked 100k in one hit but the effort of my other blind veterans motivated me to do it. I wasn’t going to let them down”
Blind veteran
Andy
Andy, 51, was hoping to complete 100km with his wife Angie as his guide. The pair took on the challenge last year, but persistent rain had left the course extremely boggy and they made the decision to stop at 57km. Andy says:
“We were beaten again this year after Angie fell ill at 37km. It is a huge testament to her that she managed to keep going and got me to the 57km mark where we then had to hang up our shoes. I’m not going to let the South Downs Ultra beat me and I’ll be back next year to make it third time lucky.
“This is one of those challenges you can’t prepare for, last year it was wet and windy and this year, the ground was so dry that there was no give and in parts it was like walking on concrete."
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.”
Peter
Peter, 68, took on the 25km distance. He says:
“I enjoyed the challenge very much. It’s a lovely part of the world and I love walking. I will definitely take part again. I was only in the Army a short time but one of the things I did with the Army was walking in Snowdonia and I’ve loved walking since then.
“The Seven Sisters section was the most difficult part and my feet are a bit sore today, but I’m pleased to have been part of the group and to have helped to raise awareness of the charity.”
Peter served in the Army Air Corp for three years. He lost his sight overnight at the age of 56. He says:
“2011 was a really difficult year for me; I lost my wife who had been terminally ill, lost my mother, lost my sight, lost my job as a mini cab driver and lost my house. I was very depressed and thought I’d no longer be able to do the things I loved.
“Blind Veterans UK has given me a reason to get out of bed. The charity has taught me that I can still do the things I enjoy.”
Lee
Lee, 49, lost his sight suddenly in his mid-40s following a brain haemorrhage and he is now black blind which means he has no sight at all. He completed 25km and found the challenge particularly tough. He says:
"It was every bit as gruelling as I thought it would be. I finished in seven hours and 15 minutes which was within my target time but I was certainly pleased to step over the line and get it over and done with!
"Never say never to me doing it again but I need to get over this challenge first. I'm very stiff but I did make it to my spin class on Monday morning."
Lee lost his sight after he went into a coma and woke in hospital a few weeks later; he said it wasn’t immediately obvious that he had lost his sight as he was hallucinating and seeing all sorts of things. He says:
“When I realised what had happened, I thought my life was over. I was discharged from hospital a day before the country went into the first Covid lockdown adding to my feeling of loss and isolation.
“Blind Veterans UK has been amazing; the charity has given me back the skills and confidence to face up to my new life and to make the most of every day. I’ve been provided with counselling and technology. Having the charity by my side has made me feel safe.”
Richard
Richard, 59, took on the challenge last year and despite the mud making it extremely difficult he completed 57k. He returned to tackle the same distance again this year. He says:
"The experience was absolutely fantastic, the weather was amazing and everyone of us achieved something remarkable. I am going to be back again next year to try for the 100km. I'm going to start training straight away so that I'm ready."
Richard served with the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards for seven years and it was when he came out of the Army that he first discovered there was a problem with his sight. Following a routine eye test, Richard was diagnosed with the genetic eye condition, macular dystrophy. He says:
"By the time I was 39, I was registered severely sight impaired. It was a hard learning curve; I had to learn to reach out to people for help.
"When I began to receive support from Blind Veterans UK, my paths began to open up and life looked brighter. A huge thing for me has been the camaraderie that comes from being a blind veteran; the support and friendship of others who understand sight loss and have the military connection really spurs me on to do things like the South Coast Ultra."
Jan
Jan, 61, completed 57km in 15 and a half hours. She says:
"I walked 92,782 steps in total; it was my first walking challenge and might have been my last! It was painful but also fulfilling.
"It was the walking in the dark that was the hardest, it was mentally exhausting and the concentration that was required was far greater than I anticipated. None of us could have done it without our guides who supported us mentally and physically along the way."
Karl
Karl, known to many as Charlie, 48, completed 57km in 14 hours. He says:
"It was great, very tough but that was the challenge. I actually enjoyed every minute of it, I got my head down and walked when needed but when breaking, it was time for a dance!
"I was glad to reach the finish as I couldn't have gone further than 57km. I was unable to train due to an injured knee so had to complete the challenge off the cuff. Nec aspera terrent, which means difficulties be damned and is the motto of the 1st King's Regiment."
Charlie first discovered he was losing his sight in 2010 and was diagnosed with glaucoma. He says:
"After finding out I was losing my sight, I was on the brink of suicide. Finding out about Blind Veterans UK saved my life without a shadow of a doubt. I'll be indebted to the charity for the rest of my life and will always do whatever I possibly can to give back."
Jill
Jill, 65, took on the challenge last year and completed 25km. She returned this year hoping to walk the same distance in a faster time and she did. She says:
"I beat last year's time by half an hour. It was such an amazing weekend. We danced to Tina Turner before setting off and there was a glass of bubbles waiting for us when we finished. I really hope to return again next year."
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 something wasn't right with her sight and she was later diagnosed with the hereditary eye condition retinitis pigmentosa. She says:
"Blind Veterans UK has helped me a lot with IT and technology. I'm also part of a group for veterans of working age which has been brilliant and has helped me back into work."
Stu
Stu, 51, walked 57km and completed the challenge in 16 hours. He says:
"I can honestly say completing this challenge is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. After 5km my feet were already feeling tired but there was no way I was giving up.
"The varying terrain made things incredibly difficult and when the night began to draw in, the lower light levels made things even worse. I was really well supported by my sight guide Dave and a team of three from the Veterans Volunteer Services charity – Troy, Gaz and Charlie."
Stu joined the Army in 1992 at the age of 17 but was discharged due to a medical problem during his first year of service. His sight loss occurred as a result of a brain injury due to a delay in being resuscitated following a respiratory arrest. He spent three years in hospital being rehabilitated.
Stu had two goals with completing the South Coast Ultra. He says:
"I have only been out of hospital a year and I wanted to bring my first year as a blind veteran to a close by proving to myself that sight loss was not going to stop me living my life and to give back to this amazing charity that has helped me come so far in such a short space of time.
"I may well have lost a few toe nails – but I’ve gained so much more. I’ve achieved my goals and have been totally overwhelmed by the support I’ve received."
In addition to the team fundraising page, Stu set up his own and has already raised over £5,800. He says:
"It's not just the number of donations that have surprised me, it’s the wonderful, touching messages of support people have left on my page."
Steve and the team from Evolve Commercial
Blind veteran Steve, his son Ben and two of Ben's colleagues from Bristol based organisation Evolve Commercial joined our blind veterans for this year's South Coast Ultra.
Evolve Commercial are a specialist provider of digital and technology focused commercial and procurement services to the secure and government sectors including the Ministry of Defence.
Steve was registered sight impaired in 2023 and began being supported by us shortly after.
Steve and team member Jo completed 25km with Ben and Sam going on to complete 57km and catching up with some of our veterans who were ahead of them to cross the finish line together. Ben says:
"It was absolutely incredible to finish the 57km alongside some of the other blind veterans. It was inspiring to see how confidently they stepped out during the challenge. It's testament to the impact of the support and training given by Blind Veterans UK.
"Guiding dad in this challenge has given me a new appreciation of how being visually impaired effects him on a daily basis. The slightest change in terrain required even more mental focus for him (and for me in order to give plenty of warning).
"From a team building point of view the challenge has really given me and my colleagues an opportunity to bond. The 16 hours to complete the challenge gave us plenty of time to really get to know each other as individuals."
Ben's colleague Sam says:
"I’d never taken on something like this before and found some parts of the route really challenging – in particular the down hill section of the Seven Sisters. The ground was so hard, steep and uneven. I found it tough and I could see clearly where I was going.
"It was amazing to be able to visit the Rustington Centre the evening before the challenge, meet the veterans and get a proper understanding of the impact of the support the charity gives. It really kept me going through the tough parts of the course."
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