I'm doing a trek to Everest base camp for Help for Heroes.  The charity supports those with injuries and illnesses sustained while serving in the British Armed Forces and they have also supported me. 

The challenge for me is to trek to Everest base camp next November to raise money for Help for Heroes.

This will mean taking on heights of 5,634 metres over 19 days, contending with temperatures as low as -17C, altitude sickness,
heading to a place that took 19 lives in 2015 when an earthquake struck and with the challenge of being blind.

Being visually impaired this will be a pretty awesome challenge for me.  I have no central vision in both eyes and this leaves me with less than 5% vision in both eyes.

When you can see, you know where to put your foot on the rock. If it’s unsteady, then you try to put your foot on a different area.    I have no
sense of depth  so I will try and use the feel of the terrain on this trek.  This means that I will be mentally exhausted for this trek which will no doubt add to the physical demands required to complete it.

I joined the Royal Navy at the age of 18 and trained as an aircraft engineer. Shortly after joining 899 Naval Air Squadron, working on the Sea Harrier’s weapons system, I noticed that a small area of my central vision was blurred.  The blurring became worse over the following months, leaving me with loss of my central vision in both eyes.  I was forced to leave behind my life-long dream of serving on an aircraft carrier working on fast jets.

I left the Royal Navy registered blind. This was the start of a long
journey to adjust to my sight loss. Previously simple things became almost impossible; I had to learn to communicate differently and learn new independent living and mobility skills.

Help for Heroes has been part of my recovery journey and I joined the Band of Brothers fellowship network in 2014.  No matter when someone
served, they give them the support they need to lead active, independent and fulfilling lives.

I have accessed support through Help for Heroes’ Sports Recovery Programme, which has fed into my ski racing training with the Armed Forces Para Snow Sports Team over the past 3 years.  This has enabled me to gain my confidence back and given me the skills to compete both in Alpine and Nordic International para ski racing representing Great
Britain.

Help for Heroes is a significant sponsor of the Invictus Games and I have been selected to compete in the cycling and athletic events in the 2017 games being hosted by Toronto in September.  

This event enables me to experience the benefits of being around other like-minded Servicemen and women and I am hoping that the challenges I have had in dealing with sight loss will benefit them in their
personal recovery journeys.

I always see my sight loss as an inconvenience.  It challenges me to
solve the problems and then I get on with my life.  But for me it’s really important for me to help educate people to see the ability and not the disability in people. 

I strongly believe that it’s not always about what you have achieved but how you have helped others achieve in life.  For me I’m super proud
to be part of this trek and raising funds for a great charity that changes
people’s lives.

If you can donate any amount (however small, it all counts!!)

Thank you all for your support and we can't do it without your help.