Veteran runs 10k for charity after losing sight

A man who lost his sight to a rare disease is running 10k (6.21miles) to raise money for a charity that supports vision-impaired veterans.

Wayne Pope, 44, from Bridgwater in Somerset, was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition, in December 2022.

The former Royal Navy seaman set off earlier and has already more than doubled his initial target of £500 for Blind Veterans UK, after they provided him with the support and equipment to restore his "confidence and sense of purpose".

"The charity has given me back my independence to be the person I want to be. I would like to use my journey to help others receive the same support," he said.

The unpredictable condition worsens over time and can affect vision in a number of ways - including night blindness, trouble adjusting to light changes, difficulty seeing colours and narrowed peripheral vision.

For Mr Pope, it manifests as tunnel view perspective with no peripheral vision, no colour and difficulty with depth perception.

"My life changed completely when I got my diagnosis; it all came as a shock," he said.

"I'd walked into that [consultant's] office as an independent man and walked out knowing my life was going to change.

"I now live each day with the sight I have, not knowing what I'll wake up with when I open my eyes."

Mr Pope served in the Royal Navy for four and a half years as an able seaman warfare specialist on board HMS Chatham and HMS Monmouth.

His run, which starts and ends next to Worthing Pier, in West Sussex, takes place just days before the 80th anniversary of VE Day on 8 May - marking the formal end of World War Two in Europe.

"Those soldiers, sailors and pilots had no choice, failure wasn't an option. They gave their lives – and many their sight – to secure our freedom," he said.

"I'm immensely proud that the money I raise by completing this challenge will ensure that veterans like them, and those who followed, will continue to receive life changing support as I have."

Mr Pope is now pursuing his dream to participate in the London Marathon alongside other blind veterans in 2026.

Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.