National Eye Health Week 2018: Paralympic medalists support Fight for Sight’s unique virtual event

Sep 24 2018

Paralympic medalists are supporting Fight for Sight’s massive adventure on a small scale, with the launch of a unique virtual event today for National Eye Health Week 2018 (24 September).

Paralympic gold and silver medalists, including cyclists Neil and Lora Fachie and skier Millie Knight, are taking part in the event, which involves participants downloading an app and then listening to an audio story while they run or walk a 10k virtual race.

People will shrink to the size of a photon before being taken on a journey to the center of the eye. The interactive app will give updates to runners at different stages of the course, revealing wonders about the eye and eye health tips along the way.

Hundreds of participants are already taking part and now is the perfect time to sign-up!  Anyone can be part of the free event (www.fightforsight.org.uk), which will continue until World Sight Day on 11 October 2018. It can be done from any location at any time, including on a treadmill or even during the walk to work.

As well as being a fun and fascinating experience Journey to the Centre of the Eye is raising awareness of eye health and raising funds for Fight for Sight to invest in vital research to prevent sight loss.

Paralympic skier and silver medalist Millie Knight is taking part in the event and has developed a training plan to support it. When she was one year old she contracted an illness that led to the loss of most of her sight by the age of six.

She said:

As well as being good fun the virtual event is a great way to raise awareness of eye health and the need for more eye research funding – and for me it’s also a change from the ski slope! I hope as many people as possible will join me in taking part. It’s not too late to sign up and you can take part from any location, including a treadmill.”

Michele Acton, Chief Executive of Fight for Sight, said:

We’re encouraging everyone to join a massive adventure at a small scale! I think this is a fantastic interactive way to learn more about the eye while you get fit, and what better time to take part than in National Eye Health Week. Anyone can get involved and you can walk, jog or run at your own pace from any location.

Half of sight loss is actually avoidable so it’s really important that people know about their eyes and how to look after their eyesight.”

Fight for Sight is the leading UK charity dedicated to funding pioneering research to prevent sight loss and treat eye disease. Fight for Sight’s overall research commitments currently amount to £8m for over 160 research projects at 49 different universities and hospitals across the UK.

Over the course of its history the charity’s research has resulted in breakthroughs that include new treatments to save the sight of premature babies, the world’s first clinical trials to test gene therapies for inherited eye conditions and the creation of a corneal transplant service.