Eric Tuckwell says:

I was born with a visual impairment in one eye and then lost my sight in the other eye while playing football at the age of 17, so I’ve been blind for nearly 50 years.  While it is difficult at times, I try not to let blindness hold me back in life.

I’m a big supporter of Charlton Athletics, go swimming every week and take walking holidays with my wife who is also blind.  I collect old railway signs and tickets going back to the 1870s and, now, with the support of Cowes Sailability Club, I even sail.

I discovered Cowes Sailability Club five years ago at one of its annual open days and soon afterwards took a trip on a small sailing boat for the first time.  I have loved sailing ever since.  I like the peace and quiet that comes from travelling under sail and enjoy the feel of the wind in my hair.

Blindness can be quite isolating.  Cowes Sailability Club gives me the opportunity to mix with able-bodied people and people with different disabilities.  I can be myself and feel part of a community of friends.  That’s the great thing about Cowes Sailability Club: everyone is accepted for who they are.

Eric Tuckwell

Eric Tuckwell WEB
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