Please don’t forget to say hello, like, comment and follow my blind trail adventures on my FitBlitz blog. I’d love to meet with you there…And it’ll stop me keep Reblogging on here too lol! š¤£
Hi Frozen FitBlitz Friends! I think you can guess that i really didnāt want to go out on the trail this morning, but thatās not the FitBlitz attitude is it, lol! After checking the weather app and it confirming that it was freezing (well below freezing, lol) my first thought was āat least the pond photo should look nice and white for all of you guysā š So really itās your fault why iām having to go out and freeze to death, lol! š¤£
I didnāt want to stand still for too long as iād end up being one of those ice sculpturesā¦So i quickly took the wide angle and normal zoom to get the 2 shots and crunched my way towards the path. There wasnāt too many other people out today (donāt know why, lol) so i thought iād get a couple of photos today for you to enjoyā¦
Hi FitBlitz family! After more rain this morning (the fine stuff that soaks you through, lol) i thought my walk would be cut short, when i stumbled upon this fallen tree. For anyone else this wouldnāt be a problem, but for this blind man it means stop and turn around and go home! Butā¦As i stood there taking this photo for you guys i heard somebody walking towards me, i couldnāt see them but my hearing is fantastic, yay! My plan was to look busy and wait until they arrived and then iād try and figure out how they navigated this obstacle?!
They didnāt go around the tree so i knew it must be a long one, they just stepped over it with little effortā¦Excellent now itās my turnā¦I walked up until i kicked the tree and did a large exaggerated step over (nearly kneeing myself in the face, lol)ā¦Yayā¦
Hi friends! After having the whole Q4 celebrating my 2 fundraisering ultra walks last yearā¦Yes the ultra walks i thought this blindman would never be able to achieve, but thanks to all of you out there who supported, cheered and donated i completed them, thank you so much! š
But now itās Q1 iāve really got to get back on it and get walking those trails! As it was a massive 3 months since iād been out on my usual trail i t was very difficult as itās winter and the paths are different and some of my markers have goneā¦But i managed it safely and got back home in one piece, a great start towards my goal of removing this unwanted weight after too much celebratingā¦I never said this weight loss journey was easy, lol! šØ
How are you guys doing? I hope you havnāt been as bad asā¦
Yay this blindman has somehow managed to drag this classic body 500 miles and reach 1 million steps to complete the challenge with 6 days to go!! Iām seriously heading for the pits to be restored and give my legs a rest so they wonāt be as swollen and battered. šŖš¼ š
Youāll be pleased to hear i wonāt be doing any more charity challenges this year, so i wonāt be hounding you for donationsā¦But as this is my last opportunity and iāve already smashed one of my two goals (the steps) please could you help me smash my fundraising goal??!!
During this agonising challenge and battling an omnifarious amount of emotions, iāve learned that brittle type 1 diabetes is a million times worse than iāve been feeling, and it simply never gives up, stays the same and definitely never rests! I really have full respect for myā¦
Man is this challenge still going?! I donāt know about you but i was fed up after the 1st monthā¦I think Iām having āpost challenge bluesā but during the challenge, lol! š¤£
I think my legs are shorter, iām really starting to hate walking and most of all my lovely new trainers burned out after 300 miles!! š I canāt believe this challenge is still going on, iām seriously not doing another endurance challenge again (not sure how true this statement will be once iāve finished).
Oh i almost forgotā¦Iām meant to be celebrating passing 900,000 steps (thatās around 450 miles) which is fantastic and further than iāve ever walked without a days rest! I hope you can celebrate for me as iām still on the floor exhausted and lacking the power to go on.
I know brittle type 1 diabetes is a million times worse than iāmā¦
Wow i thought my āUltra Step Challengeā during advent 2020 for Blood Pressure UK was gruelling, and that was only 24 days, lol! šØ Iām now 2 years older and this current challenge is double the milageā¦But after a wayward week in the slough of despond, iām happy to be awarded the 600,000 step badge (thatās 300 miles).
If i ever mention iām doing another endurance charity challenge in the future, can you tell me NO, lol! š
Sarahās Messageā¦š¤
Whilst out on my walk this morning (i didnāt want to go but i did) i was flagging on about mile 4 until i recieved this message from my lovely wife Sarah:
āOooh you are strong and amazing. šŖ I love you very much and am inspired by your determination to get these steps doneā¦ however hard it is. You are my amazing wonderful hero husbandā¦ā¦
Itās day 33/61, and this blindman has walked over 260 miles (over half a million steps) and i canāt believe i still have 28 days to goā¦If i could stop right now, i would! Itās such a gruelling challenge that just keeps goingā¦Itās by far the worst one iāve done so far, but i have to keep going some how?!šØ
Type 1 diabetes never gives Sarah a rest, so I donāt want to have one either during my fundraising challenge!
Every donation countsā¦ā¤ļø
Please help and hit the donate button and support my stepping challenge. Every step and every donation counts. Join me and letās help everybody living with diabetes. For all the mums, dads, wives, husbands, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, grandparents, and best friends, creating a world where diabetes can do no harm.
One million steps is around 500 miles, and itās going to be a reallyā¦
“Only when Jesus saved me from it all did I realise just how stressful chasing after false spirituality really is.”
Another Wisdom & Truth filled post by Lana!! š š
This blindman is celebrating hitting the half way mark of this gruelling challengeā¦The 500,000 steps (around 250 miles) badge! š
I canāt believe iāve not posted in 6 days!! šØ But i just wanted to let you know iām not deadā¦Although i think iām a little shorter now, or is it just the tread wear on my trail shoes, lol! š¤£
The Gruelling Challengeā¦š°
Diabetes is relentless and simply never stopsā¦But neither do I!
For the last 18 years iāve seen first hand how my lovely wife Sarah battles, struggles and copes with her ābrittle Type 1ā diabetes. Sheās such a warrior and is truly my inspiration on perseverance, determination and drive to keep fighting.
Please click HERE and read my story, donate and please share it everywhere you can!!
Yayā¦Itās only thanks to you guys for your kind and generous donations towards this gruelling challenge , that iāve recieved the āOne Million Step Challengeā t-shirt. Diabetes UK send you the t-shirt once youāve raised over Ā£100ā¦So i canāt thank you guys enough! šŖš¼
As youāve probably guessedā¦I love charity t-shirts as i can hardly see them whilst iām out walkingā¦But everyone else has to look (and read) my wearable advertising board, llol! š¤£ šŖš¼
A quick shout outā¦š£
Iād just like to give a quick shout out to Dayle (from āTip of my icebergā blog), as her message āSteve, I hope this will encourage you a little. Know that our prayers are with you! Congratulations of pursuing this!ā left on my fundraising page really helped me over the last 2 days, when my motivation was a little flatā¦It was a timely message toā¦
Awww is it only day 22 of 61!! šØ Itās going to be a really short post today as iām happy iāve reached over 420,000 steps (around 200 miles)ā¦But itās hard to stay motivated whilst your body is aching and trying to be substituted off the playing field! Sorry i donāt have anything funny or mildly interesting to say today, but iāll be back tomorrow when iāll be hopefully full of beans?! š¤
Itās day 19/61, and this blindman has walked over 160 miles and iāve earned my 350,000 steps badge this weekā¦Yes iām tired and hurting as i battle my way along this gruelling challenge! š° Can you help this charity close to my heart? Please donate or share everywhere (or both, lol)!
Type 1 diabetes never gives Sarah a rest, so I donāt want to have one either during my fundraising challenge!
Iāve had 3 kind donations this weekā¦One from Ian (from church), an anonymous donation and one from Ann & Michael (also from church). I canāt tell you how humbling and motivating it is to get such generous support., it also inspires me to keep going through this endurance challenge and keep fighting to help this great charity thatās close to my heart, as my lovely warrior wife Sarah has āBrittle Type 1 Diabetesā. ā¤ļø šŖš¼
Yayā¦Iām celebrating that this blindman has reached over 350,000 steps!! Iām also trying to calm my aching legsā¦But i already feel like a battered āGroup Bā rally car after being thrashed around the rally stages, and iāve only done a third of the challenge!
I think i need to break out my old panel beating skills to repair and restore my old classic bodywork. It needs lots of repairs,planishing and some putty filler, lol! š¤£
Getting lost in the woodsā¦šØ
As you may know itās taken me about 2 years to finally create a 2.5 mile lap in my local woodsā¦But as Iām now using my new microsoft soundscape GPS app to navigate me through the woods, i had a bright idea to try and lengthen my trail lapā¦Bad idea! š¤£
At least it was nice as i was getting lost, lol! š¤£
Wow i canāt believe iāve already earned this award and itās only day 17! I normally just sneak the badge in right at the end of the monthā¦But with my āOne million step challengeā which started 1st August, it meant iāve nailed it already as iāve been stomping over 10 miles a day without a rest so far! šŖš¼ š
Saturday and Sunday were both scorches at 33ĖC and i knew it would be tough getting lots of steps doneā¦So as my T1D warrior wife Sarah was off work, she first made the nicest iced coffee and then we headed off to the ponds in the nature reserve. ā š
I put my AirPods in and shouted out everything my new microsoft soundscape app was telling meā¦Sarah said it was really useful and we could try it everywhere we go, yay a win! š¤£ When we arrived at the point that you guys know well (itās the edge of the pond i always photograph through each season) my app shouted out āFishing platformāā¦Of course it is, why didnāt i think of that, lol! š¤£ Now i wonder if there is such a thing called blind fishing? š¤
After Sarah shouted at me to get my photo taken withā¦
The magnificent tree in our backyard has been gaining in stature and strength since it was put in as a sapling 27 years ago. It was ready to hold a ā¦
Itās day 12/61, and iāve done over 110 miles and iāve just earned my 250,000 steps badge this morningā¦Yes iām tired and hurting especially through this heatwave! š° Can you help this charity close to my heart? Please donate or share everywhere (or both, lol)!
Type 1 diabetes never gives Sarah a rest, so I donāt want to have one either during my fundraising challenge!
Iāve had 2 kind donations this weekā¦The 1st from my lovely wife Sarah and the 2nd friend from Dayle (blogger from the USA) which is not only humbling and motivating, it also inspires me to keep going through this endurance challenge and keep fighting to help this great charity thatās close to my heart! šŖš¼ š
Sarahās message āThanks for doing this amazing challenge to support diabetes UK my lovely husband. I just wanted to contribute and get you started on what isā¦
To laugh out loud and run free without a care in the world. Itās what childhood should be. It sounds unbelievably wonderful. As a child, all I could ā¦
Iāve already pounded over 100 miles wearing my super bright Inov8 Trailfly G300 max trail shoesā¦And as a reward for earning the first donation Diabetes UK sent me some metal shoe lace charms to wear during the challenge:
āWhen you receive your first donation weāll send you aĀ shoelace charmĀ as a special reminder that every step counts and we must always look after our feet. Weāll post this to you automatically if youāve opted to receive rewards. Weāll send these out throughout the challenge.ā
Sarah tells me they look fantastic and fit perfectly on the trail shoe. Iām defo looking after my feet with these stupendous shoesā¦I really donāt want to burn them out but the challenge is worth it!! šŖš¼ š
About The Blind Navigation Soundscape appā¦š²
Iāve been out on my trail again this morning, finding places where i can add new waypoints along myā¦
Today was not only another hot 29ĖC, but i had to wait in for some deliveriesā¦Which meant i had to fight for my steps today! šŖš¼ I managed an early quick few miles before the start time of the deliveries, as i wanted to try out my new āSoundscapeā app on my trail. Iām at the beginners stage of the app so just managed to place some map markers along my route, to see if my earphones can pick them up in 360Ė audio beacon targeting thingy, which would be cool and very useful when i get lost!! š
I also did some workouts on apple fitness plus in my living room to try and keep my steps upā¦I managed quite a few steps whilst bombing around the room, lol! š¤£ Now iāll probably spend the rest of my challenge trying toā¦
Yeah iām still walking, lol! š¤£ Itās day 8 of this monumental 61 day challenge, and i have another heatwave to look forwards too for nearly 2 weeks! šØ Itās 29ĖC today and iām getting my well rounded tan as i walk my circular lapā¦Well at least thatās a bonus, lol! š¤£ Walking in the sun is an absolute killer for me, as the brightness fries my eyes, brain and drains me really fast no matter what hat, cap or sunglasses combo i tryā¦Itās just the sight i have to put up with..At least i get a break when iām asleep, and i even dream fully sighted some of the time which is weirdā¦But brittle Type One Diabetes never gives Sarah a rest so iāll stop complaining, lolā¦And itās why iām doing this challenge without a rest day too! šØ
I, even I, am he who comforts you and gives you all this joy. So what right have you to fear mere mortal men, who wither like the grass and disappear?
Isaiah 51:12 Living Bible
Pray with me please.
Father God, Thank You for being our Healer, for making all things new, and for holding all wisdom. You are the God of all of our days. We give You all of our praise. No matter what goes on in our lives, You are still God and You are worthy of all of our praise. Thank You for the comfort and the joy that You give us. Thank You for leading and guiding us. You are so awesome. Thank You for being our all in all. Thank You for the answers that You provide us in Your word. Thank You for being all these things that the song says. You areā¦
Youāre never going to believe this (i didnāt)ā¦Me and my lovely wife Sarah were sat in the rear garden of our favourite restaurant (Sicily Restaurant), and just as Grace was placing the stunning āTiramisuā on to the tableā¦The muppets theme tune blasted out of my pocket from my iPhone!! I looked straight at Sarah (or as near as possible) as we both knew what the tune meantā¦A donation!! š²
The incredible Tiramisu from Sicily restaurant! š
The Donationā¦š²
Before i had chance to click through and read the amazing message my phone blasted out again as iād been awarded the badge above! šŖš¼ The loving donation actually took my fundraising to Ā£166. š²
Sarah was reading the many shocked looks from my face and asking who it was from? I kept saying youāre never going to believe who itās from?? I said āitās in US Dollars againāā¦
Itās day 5/61, and iāve done 57 miles and over 115,000 stepsā¦Yes iām tired and hurting, lol! š¤£ Can you help this charity close to my heart? Please donate or share everywhere (or both, lol)!
Type 1 diabetes never gives Sarah a rest, so I donāt want to have one either during my fundraising challenge!
So if youāre feelinginspiredā¦Please hit the donate button and support my stepping challenge. Every step and every donation counts. Join me and letās help everybody living with diabetes. For all the mums, dads, wives, husbands, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, grandparents, and best friends, creating a world where diabetes can do no harm.
One million steps is around 500 miles, iāve already donated Ā£25ā¦Itās going to be a really tough challenge and itās the furthest iāve ever walked by a long way!! Please help! šØ
Every penny given will go towards Diabetes UK careā¦
Wow that train track is close, lol! šØ Iām so glad i stayed where i was when i took this photoā¦I thought i wouldnāt get the tracks in the shot, but once i arrived home and zoomed in on my iMacā¦Itās right there!! š At least i know not to step any closer, and maybe i can get a slow motion video of the train as i can hear when it comes.
My Steps So Farā¦šŖš¼
At the time of this post iām just over 115,000 steps after 5 daysā¦Iām hoping for some more steps this evening, as iām trying to build a surplus before my legs burn off, as you never know what can happen to this blindman whilst out on the trailā¦So iāll get the steps in when i can! šŖš¼
Todayās Theme: āRoundā š¤
I spent my walk thinking about what i could postā¦
Yay i actually managed to get me and a bit of the trail in a selfie this morning! š² I thought iāve been taking hundreds of photos whilst on my trail walksā¦But not one of me on the trail which could lead to you thinking iām just posting anyones photos, lol! š¤£ I canāt see my iPhone at all so donāt take many selfies, mainly as iām old and think the camera should be pointing the other way (others come first). š¤£
Please let me know if you like seeing me in the frame with the trail, and iāll have to start trying to get better at itā¦Meanwhile here is a normal photo of my trail! š¤£
I managed 8.5 miles today in the hot sun and had no dramas. I was trying to slow down to just over 3 mph but my body just wonāt slowā¦
When i first posted on Facebook about this crazy challenge and how i wanted to do it in 2 months instead of 3, and for Diabetes UK for my lovely wife Sarah as inspiration and motivationā¦ I received a comment from our friend Anita saying she wanted to do it too! Anita then set up this āSarahās Walking Warriorsā fundraising page and i quickly joined. Wow what a name!!! š
Anita used to work with Sarah at āWorld Cancer Research Fundā and quickly became friends with Sarah (who wouldnāt??) so she got to know quite a bit about type one diabetes and soon joined me on this challenge. Anita also was one of the āCrazy Clappersā on my first āBlind Steveā challenge which was the āTough Mudderā back in Oct 2018. šŖš¼
Anita is an absolute walking machine and is the master thatā¦
Wow that was tough!! For the last couple of miles i was staggering like a zombie in an 80ās dodgy horror film, lol! š¤£ I know my new extended trail lap is harder as it has more uphill sections, but this was crazyā¦I was exhausted, dripping with sweat as itās still hot here and drinking my water like a dying man. But i managed the 9.3 miles (about 29,000 steps) before lunchtime, and iāve only got 59 days to go, lol! š¤£ šØ
The sunflower above is one of Sarahās in the garden. I managed to earn some more steps last night by watering the flowersā¦Well once iād picked myself off the ground after my first 9.3 miles walk yesterday! š¤£ And as this flower hit me in the faceā¦I thought iād take a photo of it. Wow itās nearly as bright as a Sarah smile! š²
Well this is it, the start of my gruelling 500 mile step challenge. I put on my stupendous new trail shoes, my backpack with water, lucozade and maybe a protein bar or two, lolā¦When Sarah said āQuick you need to have a photo for the start of your challenge, and to show the Fitblitz family that youāve startedāā¦Above is the photo of the old blind guy trying to walk 500 miles, lol! š¤£
Stepsā¦
I managed a 9.3 mile (2 of my new laps) to kick off this morning steps. It worked out at 19,062 steps, so i quickly logged it on my fundraising pageā¦A good start and i still have more to come on this first day! š
Todayās Theme: Pinkā¦
During this challenge iād joined the āOne million stepā Facebook group, and they have a theme for each day to keep things interesting. As youā¦
Please check out the first post in ‘The Blind Sightseers Through The Archives Tour’, and join me and Sarah on a brobdingnagian adventure!! šŖš¼ š¤£
Hi friends! Welcome to the first post of this monumental, inconceivable and definitely memorable blind sightseers through the archive tour!
Nancy (from Nancy Loderickās Blog) has requested to see more of āThe Blind Sightseersā adventures and escapadesā¦ Well iām never bored of posting our amazing memories (new & old) as itās easy to forget just how blessed we are (and have been). Iāll be sharing a post (or 2) each week (nearly 100 posts of travels) so you (and Nancy) can join us on our monumental adventures. This new endeavour is going to bring back some amazing memories for me and Sarah, and i hope it brings lots of smiles, laughter and interest during 2022ā¦Letās start in 2014, the year i got my first passport at 38 years old! š²
Wow, the time has comeā¦Me and my lovely wife Sarah are off to Florence, Italy to visit theā¦
For the last 18 years since meeting my āT1D Warrior Wife Sarahā, iāve always wanted to be a āSarahās Walking Warriorā and raise money for Diabetesā¦So here is the 4th āBlind Steveā fundraising challengeā¦šŖš¼
Support Blind Steve in the Diabetes UK ā One Million Step Challenge
Diabetes is relentless and simply never stopsā¦But neither do I!
For the last 18 years iāve seen first hand how my lovely wife Sarah battles, struggles and copes with herābrittle Type 1ā diabetes. Sheās such a warrior and is truly my inspiration onperseverance, determination and drive to keep fighting.
So last week, when I heard of the āOne Million Step Challengeā i had to sign up straight away. Iāve always wanted to fundraise for Diabetes UK and show Sarah how much it means to me too, and this is my chance!
WordPress kindly notified me of this 10 years of blogging award badge, so obviously i’m celebrating this achievement! šŖš¼ š
But seriously…I only have you guys to thank! I can’t believe the warm welcomes, the encouragements, the support, the prayers, the laughs and the cries…I could list much more but i wanted to keep this short, lol! š¤£ Oh and never mind the fat that you’re still here reading, liking, and commenting…I can’t believe you’re not bored yet, lol?! The journey i share with you guys is ineffable and i wouldn’t change it for the world…Well except to meet you guys face to face! šŖš¼ š
The more i think about the last 10 years, the more i think about writing…So i’ll just stop here and say a huge THANK YOU and God bless all of you!! š š
š Prayer 4 2day…
I do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:9-14)
Todayās training was to try (for the final time) to add an extra loop to my trusted 2.5 mile trail. I told Sarah roughly where iād be in case i fell down a hole, got ran over or simply just got lost. She said sheād check my location on āfind my friendsā if iām too long, lol! š¤£ So here i goā¦
I walked off my route and down to the furthest point of my walk and launched my iPhone maps app. I knew there was a road that went in the general direction of home but i didnāt know how i get there or if there was a pavement (sidewalk) next to the roadā¦I also knew thereās a train line very close and i wouldnāt survive being run over by a train but i might survive being run over by a car though, lol. As iā¦
Hi FitBlitz Friends! For some reason the video below was recommended by YouTube yesterday (not sure why it thinks i like walking, lol). As a stats man i love all of the benefits given, and as walking is now my main form of transport since losing my sightā¦Always wondered why God was building my legs up through football, cycling and weight training (yes i think i was the only one who loved leg day) when i was fully sighted, lol?! Now i have to carry everything in a backpack and walk everywhereā¦And now iāve never felt better in my whole life!! šŖš¼ š
Oh yes this was meant to be a quick post showing you a great video, lol, i could ramble on for ages! š¤£
Franklin D. Roosevelt wrote, āA smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.ā Itās a simple but wise saying that reminds us about the importance of hardships in our life. Without challenges, we never learn new skills or gain the spiritual strength needed in order to endure. This is why the apostle Paul teaches us to ācelebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hopeā (Romans 5:3-4). Everyone faces difficulties. For some, it might involve financial challenges or the loss of good health. Others might know the pain that comes with the breakup of a family or the death of a long-held dream. The question is not if one of these things will happen to us but when. Rather than spend time worrying, we put our faith in God.
Commentary from the In Touch devotional by Charles Stanley, July 10, 2022.
Hi Friends! For our 15th wedding anniversary (7th July 2022) we decided on visiting the ‘Breadsall Priory Marriott Hotel & Country Club‘ for 3 nights in Derby, UK, and wow was it a special time. When i was 12 (35 years ago š²) i used to do my morning paper round in Breadsall village, but i’d never visited this place even though i lived in Derby for 30 years! Oh and it has an indoor swimming pool for Sarah…She absolutely loves swimming, so her goes…šĀ
The Bear Cafe…š
When we arrived in Derby after a 3 hour journey on a train, a tube train and then another train…We walked straight to the BEAR cafe as they do the best croissants and strong coffee. When i say ‘Best’ i don’t mean it’s at the top of the ‘Blind Sightseers Gastronomic Leaderboard’ that is still the phenomenal croissants we had in Amalfi, Italy…I mean the best in Derby that we’ve had so far, lol! š¤£ I was just so pleased to put down my massive backpack (the one use for rucking) and i think i’d filled every pocket and pouch! šØ
Welcom to Breadsall Priory…š²
Info taken from Marriott’s website: “Experience a majestic sense of arrival as you drive down the mile-long approach surrounded by rolling Derbyshire countryside. Steeped in rich history, Breadsall Priory Marriott Hotel and Country Club dates back to 1266 and is the oldest Marriott in the world. Bordered by the Peak District National Park and its natural beauty, we are also conveniently close to many local attractions, including Chatsworth House and Kedleston Hall. Sleep well in our sophisticated rooms, work out in the gym, spend time relaxing at the spa or taking a dip in our heated indoor pool. Perfect your swing on one of our two golf courses, including the Championship Priory Course which offers challenging and varied play. We have two fantastic restaurants on site, Cast Iron Grill offers fresh, locally sourced best of British dishes including Afternoon Tea whilst the Tempo Bar is the perfect setting for a coffee.”
Yay we’ve made it…š
Exiting the taxi (and making lots of wow noises) we made it to the front desk. The kind lady then walked us to our room…How easy does that sound? I think it was the most convoluted walk i’ve ever done, a maze would’ve been easier, lol. The lady (and Sarah) were fantastic at telling me about the stairs up, then down, then up and then down you get the point, it felt like we’d walked around the hotel 10 times until we finally arrived at the room…Good for the step count though! š¤£
Room 170…š²
The room was fantastic and overlooked the 18th hole (not sure which one of the 2 golf courses it was) and we quickly made ourselves at home and unpacked (can’t believe i didn’t take any photos of the actual room). The room phone started ringing and after we zoned in to the noise and located it…We picked it up. It was Charlotte (a super kind lady) and she said that she’d give us a walking tour of the whole place as she knew we were blind…Wow how kind is that?!
Charlotte first showed us the rear door of the hotel which was about 30 steps from our room and it led outside to a lovely arch which was right outside the other window in our room (see photos below) and to a small car park which led straight to the ‘Tempo Bar’, ‘Gym & Swimming Pool’ and a much easier wide road that led us around to the front of the hotel…Wow our room was at the very end corner of the hotel and was perfectly located for us to be near the pool and gym…Fantastic! šŖš¼ š
The Gym & Swim…šš»āāļøšš»āāļø
The indoor pool was the main reason for booking this hotel as the swimming pools at home are far too busy for us blindies. Charlotte introduced us to Gemma (she was amazingly helpful and kind for the whole 4 days) and she too gave us a guided tour around the whole place. We were amazed at just how big it was…The swimming pool was nice and large, and next to it was a jacuzzi, sauna and steam room…Sarah loved all of them, lol. Then up the stairs (my domain, lol) was the large cardio room (see photo below), large weight machines room and also a free weights room too! We absolutely loved this place and went every day at 6am (when it opened) and we were the first people in, it was like we had hired it all for ourselves, fantastic when you can’t see and having the feeling of freedom as we didn’t bump into anyone, lol! š¤£
he empty cardio gym
Once Gemma had shown me an easy way to use the treadmill, i was armed and ready for action. I would leave Sarah to get changed for swimming and as i’d memorised my way to the treadmills, i would hit the big start button, and i had up and down buttons on the handles for incline and speed which i kept changing to increase the intensity! Then i just kept walking until Sarah would come and tell me to stop as she’d finished and…I never knew how long Sarah would be, i just hoped she’d be back before i collapsed, lol! š¤£
We went at least 2 times a day, and i think Sarah even went 4 times on the Saturday. It was so accessible and felt like it was made for us, we hav’nt experienced anything quite so good like this. Gemma was even motivated by us going all of the time, and said that next time we come (and we definitely will) she’ll be working out even harder! šŖš¼ š
after FitBlitzing it in the gym and swim we were really looking forwards to the evening meal at the in-house restaurant, we had a lovely walk around the grounds as the restaurant was at the front of the hotel …But first a quick toast for our 15th wedding anniversary!! ā¤ļø
We both skipped the starters and headed straight for the sirloin steaks…Wow they even came with chips. I
ā¢ļø HEALTH WARNING… Ding, Ding, Ding…Boom! š
Yay it’s the sound of the ‘Blind Sightseers Gastronomic Leaderboard’ bell, and it’s not for the steak! It was the stupendous ‘Bearnaise’ sauce. It was simply amazing and was the tastiest bearnaise sauce we’ve ever tasted…And Sarah is the sauce master as she’s pretty much tasted every sauce going, lol! š¤£
As you can tell i’m enjoying the meal, and it wasn’t long before all of the food had vanished…Now it was time to choose dessert…It was at this point when the waitress turned up with a large tray and set it down on the table. She then said “Happy anniversary”. Sarah & i were both stunned as we didn’t even know that they knew it was our anniversary?! We thanked her profusely then Sarah described it to me…Mmmm chocolate! š
It was absolutely delicious and of course i had to eat Sarah’s brownie too (after she’d had a tea spoon) as we didn’t want her blood sugar to spike too much! Oh and the funny photo below shows just how sweet it tasted!! š¤£
We were completely blown away by the kind and considerate staff in the entire hotel, as they’d really taken our sight loss to heart and were bending over backwards and going the extra mile for us to make our stay as accessible as possible…We really can’t thank them enough. We walked around the grounds some more to finish off our anniversary…
And then just when we’d arrived back to our room Sarah found this for usā¦š²
I’m not sure what more i can say about their kindness?! We will keep the card in our memory box, but i’m sorry, the handmade chocolates didn’t last the visit, lol! š¤£
The Secret Garden…š»
On day 2, 3 & 4 (same amazing routine each day) we woke up at 5:30am and got to the leisure centre for 6am, Gemma was turning everything on and was impressed that we’d got up early and were the first to arrive. We had a fantastic time and Sarah loved having the pool to herself to finally swim without any interruptions or people in the way…And i took to walking on a treadmill instead of the treacherous trail at home, lol! š¤£ Then after we had the great breakfast we had a look around the ground and found the secret garden and a lovely bench to enjoy it! š
The Bench…āļø
The sun was blazing down for the whole 4 days which made the bench a perfect place to sit. Nobody walked past or even came near so it felt like nobody knew about this place…This worked great for us as it was like our home away from home. š
After my attempt at ‘Photobombing’ we went for a little walk around the whole grounds (well as far as we could go without getting blasted by golf balls) and just enjoyed being away in this stunning place. š
The Flowers…š»
I then heard lots of wow noises coming from Sarah as she asked me to take photos of her with some of the stunning flowers!
Then once i’d peeled Sarah away from some of her fave flowers, we carried on enjoying, making wow noises and soaking in the lovely sunshine…Until we found something interesting…?? š¤ āļø
Blind Chess Anyone…?
As we walked towards the building and around one of the sides, we found some large garden games. Sarah said “You’re going to love this” as she walked me up to the chessboard on the ground and lifted one of the pieces up for me to figure out?! I could just about make out the knight but believe it or not, i still need the pieces to be bigger…Maybe as big as me to be able to have a game, lol! š¤£ Sarah then said “Quick let me get a photo of you and you can show it to your bloggers…Another fantastic idea from my lovely wife, hope you enjoy! š
my new niece jessica…š²
Kelly with baby Jessica! š
As this was a 3 night stay for our 15th wedding anniversary, we wanted it to be low key as we didn’t have time to visit everyone whilst we were up near Derby…But we thought it would be a great way of seeing my new niece for the first time (if they could come to us for a quick visit) they did, and we had a lovely couple of hours catching up with Paul (my brother), Kelly and my new niece Jessica…
Happy 13th birthday Ella…š
On our 4th day (Sunday) we had to check out of the room at 12:00, so we just had time for a gym & swim, a walk around the grounds and my friend Rob and his family to come for breakfast and celebrate Ella’s 13th birthday with us. We had a great time (no not just the breakfast, lol) and when we were travelling home later that day, we were sent the picture (above) of Ella and her new cute rabbit!
Wow what a lovely 15th wedding anniversary…ā¤ļø
I’ve had such a lovely time putting this post together and remembering just how much fun, love and laughter i shared with my stupendous wife Sarah…I can’t wait for her to read this and see the photos…I hope you all and Sarah enjoy the ‘Blind Sightseers’ latest adventure?! š
Oh i almost forgot…I bought Sarah the bouquet of sunflowers etc as she has worked at MS (multiple sclerosis) Society for a year, and i thought i’d finish this post with sunflowers and smiles!! š» š
“Diabetes is relentless and simply never stopsā¦But neither do I!” – Blind Steve šŖš¼
Hi iChristian Family!!
The blindman is off the sidelines againā¦And while God gives me the strength in my legsā¦iāll use them for doing crazy fundraising challenges to help others! I really didn’t want to fill this blog with annoying fundraising asks, as my last fundraiser ‘Trail Marathon‘ was only in April 2022…But you know me…And when i stumbled across this ‘One Million Step Challenge’ and found it was for Diabetes UK i just had to do something!
For the last 18 years since meeting my ‘T1D Warrior Wife Sarah’, i’ve always wanted to be a ‘Sarah’s Walking Warrior’ and raise money for Diabetes…So here is the 4th ‘Blind Steve’ fundraising challenge…šŖš¼
Below is the story taken from my fundraising page…
Support Blind Steve in the Diabetes UK – One Million Step Challenge
Diabetes is relentless and simply never stopsā¦But neither do I!
For the last 18 years iāve seen first hand how my lovely wife Sarah battles, struggles and copes with her ābrittle Type 1ā diabetes. She’s such a warrior and is truly my inspiration on perseverance, determination and drive to keep fighting.
So last week, when I heard of the āOne Million Step Challengeā i had to sign up straight away. Iāve always wanted to fundraise for Diabetes UK and show Sarah how much it means to me too, and this is my chance!
I realise this challenge has already started (running from 1st July to 30th September 2022). Requiring participants to walk a million steps over those three months. My cunning plan is to start the challenge on Monday 1st August and try and walk the one million steps in two months instead! This works out at over 16,000 steps each day, for the 61 days, without a rest
Type 1 diabetes never gives Sarah a rest, so I donāt want to have one either during my fundraising challengeā¦The nature reserve trail is going to get a pounding again, lol! š¤£
Quick Factoid…
Did you know someone is diagnosed with diabetes every two minutes? As many as 4.8 million people are living with diabetes in the UK right now.
So if youāre feeling inspired…Please hit the donate button and support my stepping challenge. Every step and every donation counts. Join me and let’s help everybody living with diabetes. For all the mums, dads, wives, husbands, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, grandparents, and best friends, creating a world where diabetes can do no harm.
Let’s get this party started!! š As 1 Million steps is around 500 miles, i’ve already donated 5p per mile (Ā£25.00)ā¦It’s going to be a really tough challenge and it’s the furthest i”ve ever walked…But i’ve got to do the steps now!!
Every penny given will go towards Diabetes UK care and support services, advice and guidance, and pioneering research. Together, we’re changing the world for people with diabetes.
In 1967, the popular rock band, The Grassroots, released a song entitled āLetās Live for Today.ā It epitomized the growing culture of the ā60s hippie generation. Since I look at health through a Biblical lens, I see a correlation here between healthy and destructive choices. Please indulge me.
Young people today believe the older generation doesnāt understand what it was to be young. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The ā60s Hippie Generation enjoyed a āfree love philosophyā too. Donāt worry about tomorrow, grab hedonistic pleasure today! Looking back, what seemed like a good idea at the time turned out to be nothing but waking up the next morning with regrets, guilt, or a splitting headache, bowing before a porcelain god.
This ā60s philosophy of allowing others to live the way they want without boundaries became harmful. It morphed into an āIām okay, youāre okayā attitude. This produced apathyā¦
Hey iChristian family…Of course this is for you too!! š
It’s much easier for me to Reblog rather than do a whole extra post…Sorry if a little inconvenient, i know it’s not ideal! š
Hi FitBlitz family! As iām sat here typing this during this āEuropean Heat Waveā with a desk fan blowing my head off trying to stay coolā¦I was thinking about all of you guys and hoped youāre managing in the heat? I know we like to āFitBlitzā it on here but iāve stayed in for the last few days while itās been super hotā¦I love rest days too, lol! š¤£
Sarah in our fave place in the worldā¦Southern Palms, Barbados! š
It should reach 40ĖC today here in Surrey, England, UK, and unfortunately the āBlind Sightseersā donāt have the amazing Barbados beach or the Sharkeyās Tropical Cafe to enjoyā¦Which reminds meā¦I have about 100 posts of the Blind Sightseersā escapades and adventures i could post again, this time with extra trips and travels?! Is this something youād like to see? š¤
Sarah at Sharkeyās Tropical Cafe in Barbados, drinking a lovelyā¦
From ‘Sight Village’ To ‘Supercars’, what a journey…So Far!! šŖš¼ š
Ā This weekend we’re celebrating a brobdingnagian 18 years since the ‘Blind Sightseers’ first met at Sight Village, Birmingham, UK. We’ve been simply stunned how God has joined us together with the incredible love we thought we’d never find, taken us to places we thought we could never go…And He always gives beyond anything we can imagine…And it’s not over yet??!!! š² š
Our Journey in Photos…š
2004; Two Souls Entwine…
2005: Weymouth, UK…
2006: Heacham, Norfolk, UK…
2007 – The Big Day!
2008: Old Hunstanton, Norfolk UK…
2009: VIP Hot Air Balloon Flight…
2010:..3rd Wedding Anniversary…
2011: Friday Street, Surrey, UK…
2012: Castle Rising Castle, Norfolk, UK…
Me & Sarah Worshiping with music to the Lord
2013: 6th Wedding Anniversary…
2014: Florence, Italy…
2015: Saint Kitts, Caribbean…
2016: Caribbean Cruise…
2017: Greek Islands…
2022
2018: Tough Mudder & Barbados…
2019
2019: The Unimog, Bonaire & Barbados…
2020: Trail Snow & Ultra Step Challenge…
2021: Doughnuts & Football…
2022: Lamborghini & Ferrari Drive…
Sarah in the Lamborghini Gallardo 5.0L V10 in 2022 š
Steve (me) in the Ferrari F430 Spider 4.3L V8 in 2022 š
Hi FitBlitz family! I know 26ĖC is positively cold for most of you, but here in England itās really hot for summer, lol! š¤£ I was certainly well equipped as i took out my massive backpack for a ride again today, and i fill it with all kinds of things that i donāt needā¦I just need a tent and could stay out for days, lol! š¤£
I just had to take a photo of the āMountain Of Manureā in the top image, as my foot sank a little further than expected at that point of the walkā¦So i stopped, stamped my feet a few times and took this shot for you all, lol! š¤£
As i was stomping around the nature reserve trail today, drinking water whilst running with sweat i decided to keep stopping and take some nice sunny photosā¦Iām sure my body had holes in it as theā¦
Hi FitBlitz family! Well there is 1 good thing about going out in the intense heat and dripping with sweat for the past 2 daysā¦The trail was empty!! I couldnāt believe it as it was perfect for me not to have cyclists, runners and ferocious dogs coming at me all of the time. š¤£
This week (after getting back from an amazing trip to the Marriott Breadsall Priory Hotel & Country Club) iād decided to switch up my walking againā¦Iāve pulled out my First Tactical 60+ litre (with all the pouches) backpack, and it feels like wearing power armour (from Fallout 4 PS Game) as it wraps around you. The wide hip belt itself has 4 pouches on including 2 water bottle pouchesā¦Iām so grateful for these especially in this incredible heat! šŖš¼ Sorry i could go on for ever talking about just how many pouches, pockets and compartments itā¦
My lovely wife Sarah in front of the Breadsall Priory in Derby, UK
Hi FitBlitz family! Itās been very quiet over here as āThe Blind Sightseersā (me and my lovely wife Sarah) have been away celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary, at the amazing Breadsall Priory in Derby, UK! ā¤ļø So please be patient with me as i sort through the photos to try and create a post for you..And us, lolā¦It takes me ages but iām working on it!
Donāt be fooled thinking it was relaxing though, lolā¦We had lots of FitBlitzing fun, fitness and foodā¦There was a swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi, steam room, free weights room, weight machines roomā¦And most of all (for me) a completely empty cardio room (yes i was the only one in there every time) for me to do my walkingā¦Perfect!! šŖš¼ š
Hi all! Each time our wedding anniversary comes round, i canāt believe how much our marriage has grown more and more fruitful. Our love keeps blossoming through every season…And i always thank God for my lovely wife Sarah!! ā¤ļø Oh and i just had to show you the wedding cake…Unfortunately i didn’t have one made again for this anniversary, lol! š¤£
Our Wedding Cake…Mmmmm! š
Striving to be a Godly husbandā¦
I strive daily to love Sarah biblically and extravagantly, but to love her biblically i always first ask āWhat is Godās love for us like?āĀ
God’s Word…š
Husbands, you must love your wives so deeply, purely, and sacrificially that we can understand it only when we compare it to the love that Jesus Christ has for His bride, the church..
āLove is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never failsā¦ā ā1 Corinthians 13:4ā8
Our Prayer…š
Father God, Thank You for the gift and design of marriage. Nothing has brought greater joy to me than the spouse You created for me. Because You designed my marriage and are the author, perfector, and the foundation of marriage, I bring us before You today to bless this bond. In a world that has twisted what marriage is intended to reflect, in a world that tries to tear at the very fabric of our union, we ask that You continue to keep our eyes wide open to the enemyās tactics, strategies, and distractions. May we always fight for our marriage and each other. Today, we come before and ask that You bless our marriage…Amen.
A Godly Marriage Post…
The post (below) on marriage is beautiful and is writen far better than anything i can come up with, lol…So i hope you enjoy it as much as me! š
Marriage is meant to beĀ a miniature of Heaven–a fragment of the celestial blessedness, let down into this world.Ā
Marriage is meant to beĀ a little sanctuary, into which husband and wife may flee from earth’s storms and dangers, where in love’s shelter, their hearts fed with affection’s daily bread–they may dwell in quiet peace.Ā
Marriage is meant to beĀ a shelterĀ in which, covered from the frosts of the world and shielded from its cold and tempests–two lives may grow together into richest beauty, realizing their sweetest dreams of happiness, blending in whatever things are true, whatever things are pure, and attaining the finest possibilities of godly character.Ā
Marriage is meant to beĀ a holy ark, floating on the wild floods of human life–like Noah’s ark on the deluge, bearing to Heaven’s gates, to the harbor of glory–the lives which God has shut within its doors.Ā
A godly marriage isĀ a little nook in the very heart of God, where faithful souls are held close to the Father’s heart, and carried safely, amid dangers and sorrows, to the home above!
Hi FitBlitz family! Yesterday was a messy day of me fighting my body āMr Lazyā and only just managing to stay on my feetā¦But today i took the fight to him! I āFitBlitzedā him with a flurry of 20 miles (yes 20, i canāt believe it either) and after 5 and a half hours of bombardmentā¦he was knocked out for the count,lol! šŖš¼ š¤£
It was a gruelling (yet beautiful) walk today, and it all went well without any dramas, accidents or animal attacks, yay! I managed to take a few photos on my travels and i was pleasantly surprised when i returned home having managed 20 miles without passing out, lolā¦Thatās not too far off a marathon!! š²
Letās āFitBlitzā 2022 together!! šŖš¼
Motivational Quote:..
Jess C. Scott
āA fit, healthy body ā that is the best fashion statement.ā
Hi FitBlitz family! I canāt believe how much i was yawning this morning, i couldnāt even drag myself to get my walking (fighting) gear on, lol! š¤£ But with thanks to you all (i knew i had to write this post and youād be holding me accountable) so i forced my way out on to the trail! I was fine once i was on the trail and i flew around at over 4 miles an hourā¦Yay i have a motivational Monday post for you, and hopefully you wonāt nail me too much for trying to be lazy, lol! š¤£
Letās āFitBlitzā 2022 together!! šŖš¼
Motivational Quote:..
Jim Rohn
āYou can either suffer the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.ā
Hi FitBlitz family! Yay, as you may be awareā¦Iām celebrating again for losing 6lbs in June! Also i managed to smash the 2 challenges set by my apple watch! š All of my extra focus on walking more and eating more on point has payed off. šŖš¼
But thereās no time to slack off nowā¦Letās āFly in Julyā and annihilate Julyās challenge badge, and hopefully iāll lose another 6lbsā¦Ad Victorium! šŖš¼ š
June Challenges Smashedā¦
Julyās Challengeā¦Letās Do This!! šŖš¼
Average 5.4 miles a day in July!
Motivational Quoteā¦
āI will beat him. I will train harder. I will eat cleaner. I know his weaknesses. I know his strengths. Iāve lost to him before, but not this time. Heās going down. I have the advantage because I know him well. He is the old me.āĀ
Hi FitBlitz family! After 3 mad days of speed and endurance building walks, it was nice to have time to perambulate (thanks word for today for a new word) around the trail today. I walked 3 miles at 3 miles per hour and thought iād take lots of photos for you, and also enjoy myself instead of pushing the limitsā¦Oh and it would finally give my legs a rest too! š
I made up a rule that meant i couldnāt take any photos of the trail in front of me, i could only take photos from my left, right or behind meā¦I thought it wouldnāt bore you too much and give you a slightly different perspective of the trail, lol! š¤£
It was really overcast today and the temperature had also dropped, so not many scintillating (thanks to the other word for today podcast) photos as theyād look much betterā¦
January 17, 2023 
iChristian 
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