Blind veterans complete South Coast Ultra

On 7 September a group of nine blind veterans joined together to complete the South Coast Ultra Challenge in Sussex to raise money for our charity.

The team set off together from Eastbourne to walk a range of distances from 25km to 100km. For those who completed the furthest distance, the finish line was in Arundel and the first blind veteran to cross it finished in just 20 hours and 30 minutes.

The groups aim has been to raise awareness of the support offered by our charity, in particular the impact of experiences like the rehabilitation weeks offered at the charity’s centres in Rustington, West Sussex and Llandudno in North Wales.

Ahead of the challenge, five of the group spent time at the Rustington Centre for one such week, building up their fitness and resilience to ready themselves for the mammoth task ahead of them.

During that 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. 

Muddy conditions

The conditions the walkers faced during the South Coast Ultra were not what they would have hoped for, two days of heavy rain prior to the walk meant that the ground was extremely muddy which added an extra layer of difficulty to the already gruelling challenge.

Due to this, many of the veterans completed different distances to what they originally set out to achieve with many already planning to come back and take on the challenge again next year.

We hear from some of the veterans that took part this year:

Wayne

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 walked 100km. 

Wayne used to walk this kind of distance while in the Army but had not done anything like this since losing his sight. He says:

"It was tough but worthwhile. My feet are a bit shredded and my muscles are tired but it was fantastic and I hope to be back again next year.

“I finished in 24 hours and 30 minutes and would like to go faster next time. The terrain was extremely hard though due to the mud. Not only were we facing the hills but it was slippery underfoot which was physically and mentally draining. We were trying to keep our balance and as visually impaired walkers, we were starring so hard at the ground to keep our footing.

“I wanted to take 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 alongside some of his fellow walkers prior to the challenge which he says further motivated him. He says:

"I came home and planned walks in my local area and went to Wales to walk in the Brecon Beacons with a friend which included some night training.

“This was 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."

Jill

Jill, 64 and from Skegness, joined the team for the first 25km section of the challenge. This was not a gentle stroll option and saw 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 was later diagnosed with 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, Jill realised she was starting to miss things and make small mistakes at work which scared her and triggered anxiety. She began to worry that it would be detrimental to the patients she was caring for.

Jill started receiving the support of Blind Veterans UK 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 has been great for my wellbeing; walking and fresh air are so beneficial. I’ve always been a good walker but the most I had walked up to this point was around 10 miles; I was 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 was the most challenging part for me."

The guides

The blind veterans were not alone for the challenge, each veteran had a guide alongside them, many of whom were members of our staff.

Glynis, who supports our working age members, acted as one of the guides for the event. She says:

“Everyone at the charity is so proud of all nine of our blind veterans who faced this challenge. They have not only raised an incredible amount of money in support of the charity, but they have pushed themselves to achieve something they may not have thought possible.

“The muddy terrain was incredibly tough but our veterans never moaned and I would like to say a huge thank you to the event organisers who did an incredible job and were so supportive to us throughout, checking in to make sure all the veterans were ok.”

Fundraising

The team of nine Members are jointly fundraising for our charity. They have already surpassed their £600 target – the equivalent of the cost of a rehab 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 still show your support for our veterans: