Visually impaired veteran setting off on historic run between Lands End and John O'Groats
A visually impaired veteran from West Cumbria is set to embark on a running challenge between Lands End and John O'Groats.
Darren Blanks from Egremont plans to finish on Thursday 12 September and says that if he completes it, it will make him the first registered blind person to do so.
He is also deaf in his left ear and will be joined by family and friends throughout his time on the road, including by Gary McKee who ran a marathon everyday for a year in 2022.
Darren has previously ran the London marathon and Boston marathon but says the "End to End" will be his toughest test of endurance yet.
Darren is hoping to raise thousands of pounds for the Visually Impaired Veterans Ski Club, an organisation that hopes to rehabilitate and re-build confidence in veterans with sight loss.
Speaking to ITV Border, Darren Blanks, said: "Everyday when running is different, the terrain could be different.
"If the weather was different then what I would see would be different. Sometimes when I see a dark figure in front of me I actually think it is a person and I say thank you but it could be a tree sometimes.
"Everyday is different and I have done it that long now that I'm used to it. Sometimes I don’t say that I'm blind, I just say that this is my vision."
Darren had previously served as a soldier in the army and spent two tours in Iraq.
However, it was after he returned home to Egremont and starting working as a postman that his health started to decline.
He said: "It was just one day that I started to have problems with my vision and it was discovered that I had a brain tumour.
"When the tumour was removed it left me deaf in my left ear and by the age of 23 I had hearing and vision loss.
"I did have fantastic support of family and friends and it was a good help but you don’t expect to go blind and deaf by 23."
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