A devoted swimmer who is registered blind is appealing via the BBC for a dedicated chaperone so he can take to open water on a more regular basis.
Simon Wilkes, 47, from March in Cambridgeshire, was born without eyes. He told the BBC wild swimming is “bracing, invigorating and refreshing” and helps boost his mental and physical health.
However, he added he cannot afford to cover the cost of a professional carer and has no friends or family members that can regularly accompany him.
March Fen Fins, an outdoor swimming group in the area, told the BBC they welcome people of all abilities, but say a blind swimmer requires a chaperone to assist them, as “everybody is responsible for themselves around water”.
Simon told the BBC he has managed to get help on one-off occasions, sparking wonderful wild swimming experiences that could not be replicated in a man-made pool.
He said: “I have open swum in Ely and had what I call escort swans that followed me along the river and even followed me back to the bank.”
Simon added that he also enjoyed a sea swim with a radio guide at Sea Palling in Norfolk – during which he was surrounded by seals, swimming and diving around him.
He said: “As a totally blind person I don’t receive the high level care or personal assistant support that people might think I get.”
Lisa Thomas, part of the Fen Fins outdoor swimming group based in Fenland, said the group has nearly 200 members, including some with disabilities, but Simon is the first totally blind swimmer who has wanted to join them.
She said: “We welcome anybody with disabilities, it is such a great thing for people to swim in open water, the only thing we say is, everybody really must look after themselves.”
Dr Shamira Naidu-Young, from British Blind Sport told the BBC there are two options for Simon in terms of guiding in open water swimming.
She said: “He could have someone swim alongside him (either tethered or untethered) to support. That person would obviously also need to be a competent swimmer. Alternatively, there are communication devices that can be used to guide someone from a distance i.e. in a small boat.”