Blind veteran completes bus challenge

A blind veteran from Swansea says "my confidence has grown" after completing a 563-mile journey around Wales using only public buses to raise money for our charity.

In just three days, Tony, 60, and fellow Army veteran and friend Dai, who is 74, used their bus passes to travel in a loop starting and finishing at the Swansea Veterans Hub which they were also raising money for with the challenge.

Tony and Dai caught their first bus at 8.05am on Wednesday 19 March and boarded their last bus back to Swansea at 7.46am on Saturday 22 March, arriving back in time for breakfast. Tony says:

“We were blown away by our welcome, there was a fantastic turn out and Dai and I felt very emotional. The bus company made an announcement to welcome us back as we arrived in Swansea and the bus drivers all hooted their horns and other passengers clapped and cheered. 

“The veterans who attend the hub formed a guard of honour and a piper started to play as we came around the corner towards the hub. The Mayor of Swansea and his wife were there along with three military captains and a whole group of Air, Army and Navy cadets.”

Tony and Dai set off with enough food and supplies including a tent and sleeping bag to last six days just in case they missed any buses. He says:

“Every single bus ran to time, there was no standing in the rain waiting for late buses. I was amazed and it went far beyond my expectations.

“On the Tuesday night before we set off, I was panicking and worrying that I would fail and I’d let everyone down – Blind Veterans UK, Dai, and the veteran community. I was fearing that other passengers and the bus drivers would get frustrated with me as I tried to board the buses or that I’d get in their way and face aggression but I had not needed to worry at all as this was the complete opposite of what I experienced."

Tony continues:

“My confidence has grown so much as a result of this challenge; so much so that this week I am going to catch the bus from my home to the Swansea Veterans Hub for the first time entirely on my own. I know now that I can do it and I know that the bus drivers and passengers will be there to help me. I am now so determined to give things a go and not have to fully rely on others.”

Before starting the challenge, Tony had said:

“I want to show what a blind person can do and how, with rehabilitation from Blind Veterans UK, I’ve been able to get back my independence and navigate around.”

Feedback

Tony had been concerned about the challenges posed by public transport for the blind and vision impaired and is looking forward to providing his feedback to the bus companies. He says:

Tony continues:

“My only feedback to the bus companies would be that I travelled on three buses that gave audio when arriving at stops which was really helpful as a way of tracking where I was and knowing when to get off.

"The technology is there so it would be fantastic if more buses could be equipped with it. There were also a couple of bus stops in larger towns that had screens you could press which told you when the next bus would be arriving and where it was going. Again fantastic technology which would be amazing if it were rolled out wider. However, if I didn’t have Dai with me, I wouldn’t have known the screens were there.”

Military history

Dai and Tony served together in the Army. Tony joined the Parachute Regiment at 16 and underwent basic training in Aldershot but he suffered an injury to his ankle which meant he was unable to complete the jumps and therefore transferred to the Royal Regiment of Wales.

During his 15-year service, Tony undertook three tours in Northern Ireland, served in the Falklands for eight months and spent three years in Hong Kong. 

Sight loss

Tony was diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy in both eyes. He now has no vision in his left eye and very little in his right. He says:

“I was really deflated before I found Blind Veterans UK, I wasn’t sure what my life would look like. I hadn’t left the house for five months but with the support and rehabilitation of the charity, I’m now back in the right frame of mind and this has got me through.

“Last year I had my toes amputated and this put me off walking but I was again supported by the charity and now I have taken on this challenge to say thank you.

“I didn’t just want to raise money for the charity; I also wanted to raise awareness among the public and the veteran community. Along the route I spoke to many veterans either at veteran hubs or on the buses and I am proud to have spread the word.”

Tony and Dai have already raised £1,205 to be spilt between ourselves and Swansea Veterans Hub. You can help them reach their £5,000 target: