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Fitness & Health

16th Feb 2020

Blindness, confidence and pumping iron

Alex Roberts

This man went blind in his 20s, but it hasn’t stopped him staying fit

Ian lives in Cosham, a town close to Portsmouth, and has been blind for more than two decades. He first realised there was a problem when he failed his driving test after failing to see a milk float, and was later told that he a degenerative condition which would, eventually, lead to a total deterioration of his sight.

A keen sportsman prior to his sight loss, Ian would go years without returning an area of life he once loved. Assuming there were few options for people in his position, it wasn’t until he began attending the gym that Ian realised that a lack of sight did not prohibit him from playing sport.

Now a keen cricketer once more, we met up with Ian and his guide dog Millsy in their local Anytime Fitness to discuss the effect that losing his sight had on him, how he uses the gym, and the importance of Millsy in his life.