Claire's Tandem Bike
Claire has Retinitis Pigmentosis (RP), a genetic eye condition that causes her sight to gradually deteriorate. Although Claire was born with RP it wasn’t diagnosed until she was 25. Now 47, Claire has no peripheral vision and only a small amount of central vision.
Claire received a grant for a tandem bicycle through the fund. She said: “Prior to losing my sight I gained so much pleasure from cycling. We live in such a beautiful part of the world and I’ve always loved being able to get out in the fresh air to exercise, socialise and have fun.
“The first time I went out on the tandem, the feeling of freedom I had was amazing. Being visually impaired can be lonely and isolating so having an activity to enjoy with someone else feels great.
“But it’s more than just about exercise for me. Having the tandem has inspired me to set a goal to train for. I want to take part in a cycling challenge next year to fundraise for iSightCornwall. I’ve had a lot of interest from local cycling clubs who would be willing to ride with me.
I would also like to inspire other people with visual impairments to show them that life doesn’t have to stop with sight loss and that it’s just about finding other ways of doing things. It would be great eventually to have a group of us all enjoying this activity together!