Top tennis player Sarah Fortescue is aiming to be a smash when she represents Team GB at the World Blind Games, with help from some Milton Keynes opticians.
Milton Keynes Sarah Fortescue, 55, will compete in the Games on 21st-27th August, coinciding with her 10th anniversary as a tennis player.
Sarah, who is registered blind/severely sight impaired, says: "I am excited to be playing in the World Blind Games. It’s such an honour to be a member of Team GB.
"I am so grateful to Specsavers for sponsoring me, and they made me feel like a VIP during my appointment.
"I had normal eyesight until I was 24, that’s when I developed Stargardt's Syndrome which is a rare genetic eye disease that happens when fatty material builds up on the macula.’
In addition to playing at next months at the World Blind Games, Sarah has qualified to play at Wimbledon in the ‘Play Your Way To Wimbledon’ Visually Impaired Finals Tournament on 12th August, of which she is immensely proud.
The game is amended to suit differing levels of blindness: B4 being the most sighted and B1 being totally blind. Sarah sits at B3.
This means that the field is smaller than normal, the ball has small plastic inside to create a rattling sound and will get two bounces of the ball before it needs to be hit to the opponent.
Specsavers Milton Keynes director, Steve Moore, says: "We are proud to be sponsoring Sarah. She’s not only representing team GB but also our community.
"We never want people to be held back because of their eyesight and Sarah proves just that.
"If you can't visit one of our 1,000 locally-owned stores unaccompanied, due to disability or illness, we support access to eye health for all via our Home Visits service, which covers more than 90% of the UK.’ "
For further information, call the store on 01908 036641 or visit the website.
