Growing up in West Cork sport was always an integral part of my life. From traveling to Cork football and hurling championship games to playing GAA and soccer with my local club. I was also traveling with my parents and sister to various athletics events in near-by towns.
Even the headmaster of my primary school always encouraged us to get out and be active. He set aside a few hours every week to let us play mini matches of rounder’s, Gaelic football, rugby or whatever took his fancy.
This was all lost to me - or so I thought - in 2001. I was 10 years old and developed a form of leukaemia. This affected the optic nerves in my eyes leaving me with total sight loss in the space of a few weeks. Suddenly I wasn’t able to run any more, I wasn’t able to kick a ball and I couldn’t even enjoy watching my beloved Cork play!
People treated me differently and didn’t know how to include me in the day-to-day sporting activities that are so heavily engrained into West Cork life. I was left as a mere spectator as I watched my friends enjoy county and Munster success with my local GAA club. My sister won County, Munster and even All-Ireland medals for athletics, all while I was thinking privately “That could have been me!”
It wasn’t until I went to University in 2008 and was introduced to a wider blind/vision impaired community that I began to hear about vision impaired sports. While it sounded fantastic that I could participate in sport once again, with some minor adaptions, a number of doubts crossed my mind:
Will I fit in?
What if I get seriously injured?
And, of course, will I actually be any good at this sport?
When I began to cautiously explore some sports further I realised that many of my fears were nothing to worry about. A huge emphasis is placed on safety and injury is rare. I found that there were many people at a similar level to me and more experienced athletes were willing to give tips and advice.
Blind or B1 football was a sport that immediately grabbed my attention. I’m a fanatical football fan and kicking a ball around with my friends was one of the things I missed most.
After losing my sight I attended a number of come-and-try sessions held by the FAI Football for All programme. I loved the sport, the ball has ball bearings inside which rattle as the ball moves around so players can locate it. There are coaches along the side lines and behind the goals to give instruction and feedback to players.
I now train regularly with a club team in Dublin and plan to participate in an international club tournament in June; something I thought was never possible again. I also regularly take part in athletic and cycling events, held by Vision Sports Ireland, as well as giving any new sports a go.
Getting back involved in sport, as a blind person, isn’t easy. But, with a little determination and a lot of stubbornness it can be immensely rewarding. As well as all the health benefits regularly participating in sport can provide, it has hugely improved my self-confidence, communication skills and even spatial awareness.
If I was to give any advice to a blind person thinking of giving a sport a try it would be just go for it! And if you didn’t enjoy your first experience don’t let that discourage you!
For further information on Blind Football Ireland – a member of the Vision Sports Ireland family – visit website: www.blindfootballireland.ie/; Facebook: www.facebook.com/blindfootballireland/; Twitter: @BlindFootballIE

This article was first published in the official MayFest programme on 23rd May 2015