Littledown Centre member fundraising for the Bournemouth Society for the Visually Impaired (BSVI)

Meet Littledown Centre member Barbara, who has been blind for 30 years and is going to be cycling 50 miles to raise money for the Bournemouth Society for the Visually Impaired (BSVI)

Littledown Centre member, Barbara first came to the Littledown Centre back in 1995 to train for the Waterskiing Championships held in Victoria, Australia. It was then that she met Health & Fitness Instructor Clive who worked with her to build up her strength and fitness as part of her winter training for the competition.

Since then, Barbara, who loves keeping active, has taken on a variety of physical challenges including sky diving and running the London Marathon to raise funds for the Bournemouth Society for the Visually Impaired, where she is also on the Board.

This year her challenge is to take part in the New Forest Bike Hike on Sunday 8th August, a 50 mile round trip which she is hoping to complete in 3 hours on a tandem bike with fellow BSVI Trustee and Optometrist, Julian, who she has known through her work with the BSVI.

Health & Fitness Instructor, Clive, has again been training Barbara in the Littledown Centre Gym to help her prepare for the Bike Hike and has really been putting Barbara through her paces. He said: "Barbara needed to build up her stamina for this challenge and we devised a fitness routine to include rowing, cycling and running on the treadmill. I am a great believer in doing what you can rather than what you'd like to do and Barbara has demonstrated that principle through her training as she has sometimes been working at a much harder level than she thought she was - which has produced great results."

Barbara's hard work has indeed paid off and Julian (pictured above with Barbara) has really noticed a difference on the bike. He joked: "Since Barbara has been training with Clive to prepare for this challenge, I have really noticed a difference. It is great, because it is as if Barbara is an engine at the back pushing us on."

Barbara said: "I really enjoy feeling good through exercise and to have an added reason to do it, is a real bonus. Coming to the Littledown Centre and working with Clive gives me the quality of life that I want - because I love food and can't diet - so exercise for me is the way forward and if I can raise money at the same time too, then everybody benefits!"

Find out more about how you can support Barbara's fundraising or any other information about the Bournemouth Society for the Visually Impaired. Contact CEO Rosemary Stevens on telephone (01202) 546644

Littledown Centre member fundraising for the Bournemouth Society for the Visually Impaired (BSVI)

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