Deafblind cyclist targets £20k for new charity centre
A DEAFBLIND man and his deaf wife have completed a gruelling but inspirational 1000-mile tandem ride through 22 Scottish islands to raise over £8000 for charity.
Bob Nolan (53), who was born deaf and has gradually become blind, set off at the start of the month on the cycle with his wife, Louise (47), who is profoundly deaf.
The intrepid duo, who live in Aberdeen, began their 15-day journey from Unst in Shetland, going through the Orkney Islands, arriving at John O’Groats on Saturday, June 4, and passing through Thurso before heading west.
They then cycled through the Outer Hebrides, the Western Isles and Arran – catching 17 ferries along the way – before finishing in Glasgow’s George Square last Thursday.
Bob’s dream is to raise a massive £20,000 towards helping Lenzie-based charity Deafblind Scotland create a new £1.4 million, custom-built training and resource centre for deafblind people.
Father-of-three Bob, who has Usher Syndrome, was also determined to see the Scottish islands while he still has some tunnel vision.
“I wanted do something that was challenging, essentially Scottish and, most of all, exciting. We trained hard for months, cycling 26 miles one night a week as well as an all-day ride at the weekend,” he said.
“Because I have such narrow central vision, when I’m on the bike the close scenery always appears to be rushing by and I can feel out of control. If we’re cycling directly towards the sun I cannot see at all and am completely reliant on Louise. On the upside, in the right light, I can look around and admire the scenery a long way away.”
The challenge was a real family affair. Bob provided the pedal power from the back of the tandem while Louise did all the navigating, steering and gear changing.
They were accompanied by their support team – comprising their son, Josh (16), Drena O’Malley, who works for Deafblind Scotland, and her husband, Hammie, who has a bike shop in Kirkintilloch and who kept the bikes on the road and running sweetly.
The biggest test for the pair was communicating, which they did by lip-reading in a rear-view mirror attached to the handlebars.
Bob, who has been chair of the charity’s board since 2001 and works full-time as an IT manager for Shell, said he hoped to encourage others with similar conditions to take up their own challenge.
Deafblind Scotland is grateful to Rogni, Linda and Kirsten Brown who provided accommodation for the group in John O’Groats, and also to Gary McIntyre who donated £10 on meeting Bob.
Bob and Louise also want to express their gratitude for the warm welcome they received in Groats and to the many people who stopped to donate money along their route.
