BIG NEWS: I’m taking on the London Marathon

This is a different blog post from what I usually put on AJontheLine. Rather than telling you my thoughts on other people's sporting journeys, this one is about my own.

Like you, I am human, and we all have our strengths and challenges. One of my challenges is called Optic Atrophy. Yes, I know, I hadn't heard of it either. In layman's terms, I have a poor signal between my eyes and my brain. This makes the quality of what I see closer to a TV set from the 80s than the high definition that most people see. Just to answer the inevitable question, glasses and laser eye surgery won't make it better. 

In reality, I am incredibly fortunate. I am not entirely blind, I have supportive family, friends and colleagues, and I live in a part of the world and time in history where there are the tools available to make normal life more accessible to me. 

The Royal National Institute for Blind People (RNIB) is one reason that I and so many others are lucky. It is a charity pushing to remove barriers that people with sight-loss may face. This might be through counselling support, the creation of talking books, or in my case, making books available electronically for studies. 

I believe that I have a responsibility to inspire, unite and excite. That is why I have done the projects and pursued the goals that I have achieved this far. Whether coaching tennis,  running or making a podcast and blog, I have pushed myself and others to be better and show the world that positivity can overcome anything. 

I've got big goals. 

A goal that I have had for eleven years, since seeing my friend, Dave Bottomer, achieve it, has been to complete the London Marathon. In 2022, I am thrilled to be making that happen as a part of team RNIB.

The marathon takes place in October, but my competitive nature means that the training is already underway. This is because I am focused on achieving two objectives. Firstly, I am aiming at breaking the three-hour barrier. Secondly, and more importantly, I aim to raise £2,000 for the RNIB charity to change people's lives for the better.

I really appreciate you reading this piece. And I would be incredibly grateful if you could go to the link below, donate what you can and share what I am doing. 

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ajfortheblind 

#AJfortheBlind