The terrifying feeling of losing - even just temporarily - sight in one eye inspired Gateshead' s Debbie Martin to take on the epic Great North Swim challenge to help raise awareness of Usher syndrome.
Debbie grew up and has been a lifelong friend of campaigner Jo Milne - who founded the charity Cure Usher and is a powerful advocate for those affected by the rare condition. Usher is the leading cause of progressive sight and hearing loss. After being born with Usher, Jo became profoundly deaf by the time she was 18 months old. The condition also causes eyesight to deteriorate, and Jo was registered as visually impaired at 30.
Debbie had long been inspired by her friend and after her own sight issues last autumn - she suffered a detached retina which left her blind in one eye, though this has been resolved - she wanted to do more to help the charity. This led to her taking part in the Great North Swim event on Lake Windermere on June 12.
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Debbie - along with four other Cure Usher fundraisers - had been slated to take part on Saturday, but dramatic weather conditions saw it cancelled. However, Debbie and Helen Martin - no relation - were able to get places to take part the day after. Though conditions were still tough and saw the course slightly shortened, both women finished in an impressive 54 minutes.
Debbie said: "I was way out of my comfort zone. I grew up in Gateshead with Jo. And although she's 10 years younger than I am, we grew up with a real sense of community and we have been friends for years. And then last year I was just driving home from work when all of a sudden the retina in my right eye became detached. I lost the sight in that eye - temporarily.
"It was incredibly scary and though I got my sight back, I got talking to Jo and she mentioned the Great North Swim. I felt I had been so lucky to get my sight back and wanted to help raise awareness. I was a good enough swimmer at school. But I'm 57 now so that's a long time ago now!"
Debbie, who had taken part in three outdoor swims in preparation said she had wanted to highlight the barriers people with Usher face - and she also paid tribute to her inspirational friend. Debbie added that to take part with Helen, who is from Teesside and suffers from Usher herself, had also been a moving experience.
"She has Usher herself - and she was fearless. She'd done no outdoor swimming at all," Debbie said. "Helen was calm and relaxed and went for it!"
Later this month Debbie is helping to organise another one-mile swim at the QE Park near Ashington so that the other women who were unable to take part at Lake Windermere due to the weather can experience the challenge.
To help Debbie raise more money for Cure Usher, visit her fundraising page at justgiving.com/fundraising/Deborah-Martin10
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