When my mother was diagnosed with Glaucoma and Cataracts in both eyes she was devastated - going blind was a scary diagnosis. Even when she settled into managing the deterioration with medication it still disabled her from doing what she enjoyed or engaging in new activities. She loved walking but now, on bad days, she was scared to leave the flat as her eyes went blurry and judging distances was tricky. The resulting depression, as well as colon cancer were the reasons behind her rapid demise in October 2023.

Having lost my second parent, I was in a dark place. Examples of friends that went through bereavement and persevered through sport pointed me towards a brilliant local coach, Rhian Martin - an Ironman Triathlete and an ex World no 1 in SwimRun. So I started training with her in January 2024 and did my first 10K London Winter Run in February same year, having not run more than a few miles in my life. Then followed four half marathons, a string of triathlons, Swimathons with my daughter, a duathlon, cycling events, Hillindgon 20 miler and Manchester Marathon.

The daily physical activity facilitated short and long term satisfying goals, emotional sustenance from training itself and also from new friendships with team members and coach. I felt more positive about myself, more capable and strong. The training changer the way I ate, slept and felt during the day. It completely transformed my life, most of which to this point was spent playing the piano and teaching - a very sedentary existence.

So when was I desperate to find a place to run the London Marathon, one of the RMF team members Marianne pointed me towards Crunch. As I was going through the possible charities, British Blind Sport's message struck me for two reasons - I knew the detrimental devastation and exclusion that blindness brings through my mother's experience and also I knew the transformative power of sport. British Blind Sport provides opportunities to be active to the people that lack it most and need it most. Run by a small team all their efforts and funds go to organising events and educating sports providers so the funds we raise will go a long way and will make a real, lasting difference to blind and partially sighted people in the UK.

British Blind Sport's mission is to make sport and physical activity accessible for all blind and partially sighted people in the UK.

Sport can transform lives. Being physically active empowers people and has so many benefits. Regular physical activity is not only about good physical health, it also boosts confidence, increases resilience and builds friendships which all add up to better health and wellbeing.

In the UK, just 12% of people with sight loss regularly take part in sport and physical activity. A further 64% of people with sight loss want to take part but experience barriers that stop them.

BBS is a small and ambitious charity and when you donate, you will make a difference by helping BBS to provide more services that will help more people with sight loss than ever before.