Blind Veterans UK
BVUK
This week saw me skiing and photographing an incredible, welcoming and amazing group of people. BVUK or Blind Veterans UK is a charity that supports blind or partially sighted veterans helping them to lead independent and fulfilling lives.
Part of this is to impart confidence, overcome challenges and adjust to sight loss.
Believe me, having seen a totally blind 82 year old ski down a slope, or a 50 year old partially sighted ski 3 feet behind his guide down red and black runs, you start to think that there is northing that these guys, and by extension you, can't achieve!
If you know of a ex-serviceman or woman who is suffering from sight loss then please refer them to this amazing charity!
"He always says he can see through my voice"
Exceptional Individuals
"Go straight,
Let it run.
Let it go,
All clear."
Let it run.
For more than 30 years blind veteran Charlie Daly has seen the mountains and slopes that he has skied along through Peter Zamudio’s words as he guides him safely down the slopes.
Charlie is 82 years old, totally blind and is one of the core members of the club. His enthusiasm for the slopes, and the fun he has during the week has not diminished in the 31 years he has been attending the trips. He has skied with the same guide since 1986, and continue to ski for as long as he can!
Of skiing with Charlie, Peter Says "We are very well attuned to each other. I can always tell how he feels, and if he is struggling to hear me, and I know to ski closer. He always says he can see through my voice and he can tell if he is safe, and it’s easy, or if it’s getting tight and he must get his turns in. We have built up a set of commands over the years that work in all situations - including the bar!."
"The ski week is the one week a year that really gets me out of myself and gets me going and makes me get up and go." - Charlie Daly
"You are with friends and you have the mountains and the sunshine and everyone’s laughing. What’s not to love?”
Spending time with these guys is one of the most inspiring things you can do. Their spirit, the camaraderie, the willingness to try, the drive to overcome adversity and live as normal a life as possible is incredible.
I am proud to be involved with this worthwhile charity and proud to call these guys my inspiration, my motivation, but most of all, my friends.
Click below to read some of the stories and thoughts of the club members in the May 2017 issue of the BVUK magazine, starting on page 8.
