A Bristol woman has spoken of how she is dealing with her deteriorating eyesight - by setting up a group of fellow adventurers, and running the London marathon. Tracey Gait has had problems with her eyesight since she was a child, but it’s a hidden disability and she said most of the people she knew had no idea about the issues until she started fundraising for the marathon effort.
The 43-year-old from Hartcliffe has raised more than £2,000 for the charity Sense by running the marathon, which she completed in a not-too-shabby 5hrs 17 mins. But she said the experience of talking about her disability publicly to friends and family for the first time has been the most life-changing thing of all.
While fundraising for the Sense charity, Tracey said she spoke openly for the first time to many people in her life about her visual impairment. She has had issues since she was a toddler, due to astigmatism, which makes every day activities challenging - from reading notice boards and menus, to getting text messages.
Read more: Film set in Hartcliffe will be shown in cinemas nationally
Her eyesight has deteriorated in the past year, but rather than going into her shell more, she has done the opposite and said she is determined to do more things than ever. A keen adventurer, she can’t drive, so has set up a local group which helps people access outdoor activities by public transport.
“The awareness I have raised for disabilities both hidden and visible has surpassed all my expectations,” she said. “I have come to terms with my eyesight which over the last year has deteriorated rapidly.
“I’m no longer going to be embarrassed about accidentally walking into the men’s toilets or getting on the wrong bus. I’m now onto planning my next adventure,” she added. “I was so excited to be running the London Marathon this year, it’s a childhood dream come true. Running for Sense to help other people with sensory impairments and raising awareness of my own visual impairment makes it even more special.
“Most people in my life did not realise I had a visual impairment before I started talking about it when fundraising for the marathon. I have to continually adjust how I do things because of my sight such as using magnifying glasses to read or taking photos of things on my phone and enlarging them.
“I hope that by being public about my own hidden visual impairment, I can raise more awareness of disability in society,” she added.
It was the first time she’d ever run a marathon, and she was cheered on in London last Sunday by her ten-year-old son and her mum. “Running the London Marathon was even better than expected,” she said. “The atmosphere was electric, and the support of friends, family and Sense kept me going throughout.”
The charity she chose to run for was Sense, which supports people with complex disabilities and people who are deafblind. Its chief executive Richard Kramer said raising awareness for Tracey was as important as the money. “Tracey has done brilliantly to complete her first marathon and raise so much to support people living with complex disabilities,” he said. “Importantly, she has also helped raise awareness of disability issues, and shown that with the right support you can achieve anything,” he added.
Read next:
Strictly Come Dancing's Jayde Adams showcases this week's tango at Bristol school
The Boat Yard - Bristol's unfinished landmark tower block - finally has new contractor
Renters fight back tears as they tell of trauma of Bristol housing crisis at unofficial 'commission'
To keep up-to-date with the latest South Bristol news, join our community of subscribers with my South Bristol newsletter here.
