A woman from Surrey is taking part in a 55-mile cycle to raise money for Blind Veterans UK, the national charity for vision-impaired ex-Service men and women.
Emilia Freeguard, who is 67 and from Sutton, is training for the London to Brighton Cycle which takes place on 10 September.
She has chosen to support Blind Veterans UK after hearing so much about the work of the charity from her daughter who has been working with them for over two years.
Emilia is no stranger to taking on physically demanding challenges and has previously run ten marathons. However, while training for her 11th marathon Emilia began to find long distance running more difficult.
She says:
“I thought I’d just been overdoing it but finally sought medical advice and discovered I had a problem with my heart and was diagnosed with type two diabetes.
“I’ve recently undergone a heart operation and although my recovery is going well, I’m still unable to run. I love being a member of my local running club and I’ve found it lonely not being able to go out. I can, however, ride my bike and having the challenge of the London to Brighton Cycle to look forward has really helped me with my physical and mental wellbeing.
“Knowing I am doing it for such a great charity has given me the extra motivation. My daughter has shared lots of inspiring stories with me about the blind veterans that the charity supports. These people have done so much for our country, and they should never be forgotten. This is my way of showing my thanks to them.
“I want to raise as much money as possible for Blind Veterans UK and in addition to the London to Brighton Cycle, I will also be raising money via my martial art school. I’ll be offering Choi Kwang Do classes at Sutton & Cheam Choi Kwang Do where I am the head instructor. Participants won’t need to pay for the class but will instead be asked for a donation for Blind Veterans UK. Anyone who is interested in booking on to one of these classes can visit the website cheamckd.com
“It’s also great that in doing this I am showing support to my daughter and to her love for her job. She was so happy when she found out she’d got a job at Blind Veterans UK, the charity means so much to her. My daughter is wonderful, she is so kind. I am proud to be her mum and her friend.
“I hope that she is proud of me for taking on this challenge and more than anything I hope I can raise money and make a difference to the lives of blind veterans.”
If you would like to support Emilia in reaching her £1,000 target for Blind Veterans UK, please visit her Just Giving page: justgiving.com/fundraising/emiliafreeguard
If you are inspired by Emilia and would like to take on a challenge for Blind Veterans UK visit the charity’s website: blindveterans.org.uk/fundraise
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/support
