A serving member of the British Army based in Wiltshire is set to take on his first marathon in April to support Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women, which supports his grandad.
Jack Bond, 26, from Sleaford in Lincolnshire, will be taking on the Newport Marathon on 19 April alongside three of his Army friends, Zach Giordano, Kristiaan Parsons and Nathan Massey, all of whom serve with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
Jack’s grandad, Terry, who is 80 and lives in Ruskington, started losing his sight around three years ago due to macular degeneration.
Jack says:
“Prior to losing his sight grandad was always a very independent man and was strong as an ox but when he first lost his sight, he wasn’t that man anymore.
“Grandad and I used to go fishing together but we can’t do that now. As a family we try to help him out as much as we can but without stepping on him.”
Terry served with the 1st Battalion Royal Green Jackets. He joined as a rifleman in 1965 and during his service he was stationed in Hong Kong, Norway, Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Germany and the Falkland Islands. He served for 22 years and retired in 1987 as a warrant officer class 2.
Jack says:
“Grandad lost his sight a year before I joined the Army; I always wanted Grandad to see me in my uniform but sadly that was never possible.
“We come from a military family; I’m very proud to follow in both my grandad and my dad’s footsteps.”
Terry has been supported by Blind Veterans UK since 2024. Jack says:
“I’m really happy that Grandad is looked after by Blind Veterans UK. They also support my grandmother. What the charity does for people like my grandad is phenomenal and I want to do something to enable them to support more veterans like him.”
Terry says:
“About three years ago, I realised something was wrong with my sight as I was struggling to tie the knots when fly fishing. I visited the optician believing I just needed stronger glasses but was told I had macular degeneration and my sight would deteriorate.
“I became withdrawn and I didn’t see the point to anything. I could no longer go fishing or drive so I’d lost my independence and suddenly found myself reliant on others which was really hard for me as I don’t like to be a burden.”
Terry says Blind Veterans UK has changed his life:
“I’ve got purpose again and have been lifted up. I visited the charity’s centre in West Sussex and was given long cane training and have been loaned a reader which magnifies my letters. The charity also helped me to understand what other help I was entitled to and I enjoy going to coffee mornings where I meet other blind veterans and we have a lot of military banter which I’ve missed. Blind Veterans UK has done so much for both me and my wife; it’s unbelievable.”
This will be Jack’s first marathon and with less than three months to go he is in full marathon training mode. He says:
“One of the lads running with us has run a marathon before so we are following his lead when it comes to training. The distance is daunting but I know it’s doable.
“We want to complete the marathon in 3 hours and 40 minutes but the most important thing is that the money we raise will go directly to helping people like my grandad.”
Terry says:
“Jack makes me so proud; I was proud when he joined the Army and I was beyond proud when he came to me to say he was running a marathon to support Blind Veterans UK. I’m hoping that, as well as raising money for the charity, he will raise awareness among serving troops so that if they lose their sight, they will know where to go for help and support.”
Jack is aiming to raise £1,000 for Blind Veterans UK. You can help him to reach his target by visiting his JustGiving page: justgiving.com/page/bond-fundraiser-1
If Jack has inspired you to take on your own challenge for Blind Veterans UK, you can find out more at blindveterans.org.uk/challenge
Blind Veterans UK supports thousands of blind veterans across the country, but knows there are many thousands more who still need its support to rebuild their lives after sight loss.
If you, or someone you know, served in the Armed Forces, including National Service, and are now struggling with sight loss, then please get in touch. Call 0800 389 7979 or visit blindveterans.org.uk/gethelp
