My name is Keith Barrett and I live in Bridgend in South Wales. I lost my sight to cancer as a young child. I was able to train with my first guide dog aged 18 and it changed my life. I am now on my fifth guide dog, and would like to give something back to the charity that has given me so much independence and freedom. 

Guide Dogs receive no government funding and are only able to operate from the generosity of donations and fundraising. There are currently 4,800 guide dog owners in the UK, and the lifetime cost of each dog is£50,000. It would be normal for a blind person to require 7 dogs in their lifetime. 

Having guide dogs has enabled me to run a successful piano tuning business, and generally lead a normal, active life. 

For my fundraising challenge I will be riding a tandem bike from Paris to Swansea with fellow Ogmore Valley Wheelers member Andy Harries who lives in Penarth. He has been kind enough to give up his time and his legs to pilot for the event. We will be riding 320 miles in total over the course of three days. We have been training hard for this ride, as cycling 80 miles per day is not going to be easy!

Thanks for stopping by!