My name is Wayne, a 40 something veteran who is proud to have served 4 and a half years in the Royal Navy as an able seaman warfare specialist on board HMS Chatham and HMS Monmouth. 

I’m a proud father of 3 daughters, keen guitarist and runner.

I’m also registered blind. 

I first noticed issues with my sight in September 2022 and went to Specsavers for an eye test. While there I was offered a scan which looks at the back of the retina for any issues. This is where the anomalies were detected. The specialist consultant at Specsavers proceeded to arrange for subsequent investigations.

I was diagnosed with the degenerative eye condition, Retinitis Pigmentosa, in December 2022. This is a condition that worsens over time and can affect vision in a number of ways such as night blindness, trouble adjusting to light changes, difficulty seeing colours and narrowed peripheral vision. 

When I received my diagnosis, I was in tears. My life turned upside down, not knowing how to digest what I’d just been told. I just didn’t understand the disease or how I would go forward. The person I had been before now required an adaptive way of going forward into the future – this is what I called ‘point zero – day one’.

Today, the vision I do retain is a tunnel view perspective with no peripheral vision, no colour and difficulty with depth perception. The nature of the disease is unpredictable and no two days are the same. The residual sight I still have centrally overworks itself leading to immense fatigue and stress, but I’m not about to let life just stop.

My mission is to demonstrate that sight loss should not be a barrier to leading a fulfilling and independent life.  I want to raise vital funds for and awareness of a charity that has supported me in rebuilding my own life after sight loss – Blind Veterans UK – by taking on a series of running challenges.  The next on the list – London Marathon 2026.

To find out more about me, keep up to date with my progress and discover ways you can support me in my mission follow my social media accounts or watch the video at the link below.