Blind teen’s bid for world record on loch
A blind teenager from Perthshire plans to paddleboard across Loch Tay in a daring world record attempt.
During lockdown, William Kent (18) from Strathallan made his first foray into fundraising when he did a series of hill climbs in Celtic costume to a fort near his home.
His enthusiasm for Scotland’s historic past earned him the nickname ‘The Blind Celt’ and his solo walking missions raised thousands of pounds for the NHS.
Now William has embarked on a new ambitious record-breaking adventure.
He plans to navigate the unpredictable waters of Loch Tay in September, standing on a paddle board in order to raise money for a revolutionary new online portal designed to change the lives of people living with sight loss.
In order to achieve the world record, William is required to paddle blindfolded, one kilometre along the loch in under six minutes.
The intrepid teen has been training at The Scottish Crannog Centre with leadership expert David Fox-Pitt MBE since May of this year.
William, who lost his sight at the age of nine because of Stargardt’s disease, has a fund-raising target of £25,000, which is the first-stage development total required to launch the ‘Help See The Blind’ online portal, designed to help blind and partially-sighted people achieve their career goals and ambitions.
The concept for the unique portal was born out of the frustration felt by William’s parents, Leslie and Laura, who are increasingly concerned about the lack of professional resources for people living with sight loss.
Leslie said: “As a family, we are working with a dedicated team to develop a unique portal for blind people which enables them to be empowered to become gardeners, musicians, politicians, actors, writers, photographers, adventurers and much, much more.
“We see living with blindness or being partially sighted as an enablement to success.”
The portal will also educate sighted people about the challenges of day-today life for individuals living with sight loss including unemployment, anxiety, loneliness, depression, and suicide.
William is appealing for financial support for his challenge from individuals and businesses from across Scotland and beyond.
He said: “I would love to have further sponsorship and donations from everyone, everywhere to support my challenge.”
William’s progress can be followed at: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ help-see-the-blind
Any donations or enquiries about sponsorship opportunities can be found at: www.helpseetheblind. co.uk/guinness-world-record or email welcome@helpseetheblind.co.uk