A blind London lawyer and his sighted boss are aiming to summit 24 mountain peaks in 24 hours to raise vital funds and awareness for disability charity SeeAbility.
Michael Smith, 33, who has only around 10% vision, and Jack Stacy, 38, hope to raise £15,000 for SeeAbility, which is celebrating its 225th anniversary this year.
Throughout the challenge Michael and Jack will be tethered together, with Jack providing sighted guiding and support the whole way. They will have to work in complete unison to complete the gruelling challenge which is officially graded ‘extreme’.
At just 19, Michael and his twin brother, Dan, both lost the majority of their sight very quickly because of Optic Neuropathy, an inherited condition that affects the optic nerve and causes sight loss in the centre of the field of vision.
“I don’t have much usable vision and haven’t got any depth perception, so Jack will be planting his feet on the ground and then telling me where to plant mine,” said Michael.
“He will be my eyes. I will be reliant on him every step of the way.”
For Jack, who became Chair of SeeAbility a year ago, the challenge is also deeply personal.
His brother, Matty, was born prematurely and spent the first four months of his life in an incubator. The oxygen treatment that saved his life caused him to lose his sight, and he also has complex learning disabilities and has never been able to speak.
Michael and Jack will summit 24 mountain peaks in the Lake District, including Scafell Pike, the highest mountain in England on September 7 and 8. They will cover at least 28 miles, while ascending a total of 12,000ft.
“We believe passionately that this isn’t just about scaling mountains,” said Jack.
“This is about challenging what we expect from life. For many people with learning disabilities, autism or sight loss, society expects very little. SeeAbility challenges those expectations and supports hundreds of people like my brother Matty to live in their own homes, lead a life of independence and choice, have ambitions and realise their dreams.”
Michael and Jack have already raised over £100,000 of their ambitious £150,000 target.
If you’d like to help Jack and Michael reach their staggering £150,000 fundraising goal, and make a tangible impact on the lives of people with learning disabilities, autism and sight loss, please show your support by donating at: https://www.justgiving.com/page/jackandmichael
To find out more about SeeAbility, please visit: https://www.seeability.org/
Comments