Tandem Bike for Visually Impaired Triathlete

Aim

To raise funds for a racing tandem allowing Oliver to compete against the best para triathletes at the Commonwealth & Paralympic Games.

Who am I? 

I'm Oliver, age 17, and a sixth form pupil at my local High School.  For years I've not been able to compete at team or contact sports, due to the many eye operations I had as a child.  I was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma at age 3, which affected both eyes and by that stage my eyesight had been irreversibly damaged.  The challenge for the surgical team at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, where I was fortunate to be treated, was to preserve what sight was left.

I have had twenty eight surgeries to date, and was told at the age of five, that I'd never be able to ride a bike, swim, drive a car or play any type of competitive sports.

I am happy to say that I didn't follow that advice in its entirety.   With the help of so many people that I couldn't possibly list them all here,  I am currently competing in triathlons at international level, proudly representing Ireland.  The most recent competitions were in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; Alhandra, Portugal and Valencia, Spain.

Paratriathlon

The breakthrough into triathlons came a few years ago, while being introduced to guided running by British Blind Sport.  This in turn led to joining a running club that could support guided running, meeting a Triathlon Ireland coach there, who discovered I could also swim and cycle.   And the blessed sequence of events from there, have led me to a rigorous training programme that comes with being a member of the high performance team with Triathlon Ireland.  

How can you help?

Various small grants have been applied for and fully utilised with travel and training to date, but to move onto the next level and compete with the best requires investment, and in particular a new tandem bike.  This doesn't come cheap, and that is were I need your help.

The tandem bike that I am currently borrowing is coming to the end of its useful life as it is almost ten years old.  The tandem has had a number of previous owners, been put through many races, but crucially was custom built for a triathlete, half a foot smaller than me.   This means that the racing position for both the guide and I is inefficient and slows us down.  Additionally you can imagine  the mechanical issues of a ten year old bike, and the worry about mechanical failures during a race.  

My aim is to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022, and then Paralympic Games in Paris 2024.    

I have managed to achieve a lot in para triathlon in such a short time,  competing internationally, and also being the youngest para triathlete at the World Championships in Abu Dhabi at the end of October '21.  With your kind assistance, thoughts, prayers and support , you can help me make this dream a reality.  Anything you can do financially, to help me achieve this goal would be gratefully appreciated.

This project successfully funded on 31st January 2022