A woman who took up archery after a series of strokes caused her to lose her eyesight has qualified for a major international tournament.
The BBC reported that Trish Gracesmith from West Bromwich, responded to her condition by taking up archery, to keep herself active and in a routine.
She said she had dreamed of becoming an archer from a young age and now she will compete at the International Blind Sport Federation (IBSA) World Games in August.
Trish, who has five children, started having strokes when she was 33 and gradually lost her eyesight over a number of years.
She told the BBC: “It left in increments and in 2015 I was told it couldn’t be rectified – that’s when it hit me the hardest. When the curtain fell, I was in shock.”
After taking up archery, Trish competed in her first competition in 2021 against other blind and partially sighted, as well as fully-sighted archers.
She has since won several trophies, become a three-time record holder, and topped the visually impaired archery charts in Great Britain in a number of categories.
The IBSA World Games is being held in the UK for the first time. Events involving a number of different sports and more than 1,250 competitors from 70 nations will take place in the West Midlands between 18 and 27 August.
Trish said: “To lose my sight and end up doing what I wanted to do as a youngster is something I did not think was possible.”
