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Blind man completes the national three peaks challenge in three days and raises £5,000 for Berkshire Vision, Guide Dogs for the Blind and MyVision Oxfordshire




A severely visually impaired man from Newbury climbed three of the nation’s tallest mountains to raise money and awareness for three sight loss charities.

Devanté Claridge, a 30-year-old community engagement officer for MyVision Oxfordshire, completed the national three peaks challenge earlier this month.

With the help of 11 others, Mr Claridge climbed to the summits of Ben Nevis in Scotland, Scafell Pike in England and Snowdon in Wales over three days from Friday, July 7 to Sunday, July 9.

Devanté Claridge with his guide dog Macky
Devanté Claridge with his guide dog Macky

He and the team managed to raise nearly £5,000 for Berkshire Vision, Guide Dogs for the Blind and MyVision Oxfordshire, three organisations that have supported Mr Claridge throughout his sight loss journey.

He said: “It was nice to be guided by such an amazing team. I don’t think I would have been able to do it without them to be honest.

“My whole reason for doing it was to raise awareness for the charities, so to have that much raised is incredible. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone that has supported and donated.

Devanté Claridge and the rest of team completing the national three peaks challenge
Devanté Claridge and the rest of team completing the national three peaks challenge

“Even if we managed to reach a couple of people that now know about the charities, it’s better than nothing.

“Having that money is going to be vital for helping provide services to people like myself.”

Mr Claridge was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa when he was eight years old. It is a rare eye disease that makes cells in the retina break down slowly over time, causing vision loss.

His vision only allows him to see about five metres in front of him, so he was guided by his fellow team members throughout the entire challenge.

Devanté Claridge and the rest of team completing the national three peaks challenge
Devanté Claridge and the rest of team completing the national three peaks challenge

He said: “Each of the mountains had their own challenges, but the team supported me massively.

“At one stage, when we were going around some of the vertical drops, there was about three of them around me. One in front, and one on each side.

“I can’t tell you how steep it was in places.”

Devanté Claridge and the rest of team completing the national three peaks challenge
Devanté Claridge and the rest of team completing the national three peaks challenge

“I found it most difficult when we got close to the summit. That is when the rocks were big boulders and so uneven.

“When your legs are like jelly getting to the top and you’re quite tired and then you have to navigate through these big rocks.

“When we were trying to take pictures I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, this is probably when I won’t make it to see another day.’”

Mr Claridge took on the daunting challenge to raise awareness of sight loss and the challenges that come with it, as well as to inspire others to push themselves outside their comfort zones.

He said: “When I first started losing my sight, I didn’t really accept it.

“As I’ve learnt to accept it more and meet other people and hear their stories, it has inspired me to say, ‘Guys, we can do things like this.’

“As my saying goes, ‘You may lose your sight but you’ll never lose the vision.’”

To donate to Mr Claridge’s fundraiser, visit http://rb.gy/fw4cv

To celebrate his achievement, Mr Claridge planned on eating at Mr Cod on Cheap Street, his favourite chippy in Newbury.

He also wanted to thank everyone on the team that helped him complete the challenge.

He named and thanked: “My auntie Jolie and my 14-year-old cousin Will, who is a farmer and managed to name a million animals on the way.

“We had Welly who I called the captain because she organised everything.

“We had Jo, who was the comedian of the group, and Charlotte and Robbie who were my guides for most of the time.

“Ryan was my brick wall. He stopped me from falling a number of times because he’s 20 stone. He’s a big man. Any time I was falling, he was the one who would block it.

“Vicky was good therapy and was very easy to talk to, and Denny, Ryan’s son, who joined in which was nice.

“We had Russell as well, who we called Russ. Russ does these ultramarathons on a regular basis. He was sacrificing his usual speed to help me.

“We called him white sock man because he went up in white socks and leggings most of the time, but he was also very helpful.”



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