Blind athlete raises over £1,000 for charity

Chris Marshall, a 21 year old blind athlete from Parkhall, Clydebank, has successfully completed a charity triathlon at the Beardmore Health Club, raising over £1,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind. 

Chris has been blind since suffering a blood clot at age 15. After spending six weeks in a coma, he awoke to discover he could no longer see: having to learn how to walk, talk and even eat again. 

A member of the Beardmore Health Club since then, Chris has been training for just over two months to complete the sprint-led triathlon; replacing the traditional swim, bike ride and run with 20 kilometres on a static exercise bike, 750 metres on a rowing machine and 5 kilometres on a cross-trainer. 

Fitness instructor Chris McGoogan and Health Club Manager Craig McKinnon, were delighted to see the hard work and dedication had paid off, when Chris completed the circuit in one hour, eight minutes and 54 seconds: beating his target time of one hour 15 minutes.

Commenting on the success of the triathlon, Craig McKinnon said: “We’re very proud of Chris; we knew he would do well, but he has surpassed every target we set for him. He’s been training with us for about 6 years now and is truly an inspiration to everyone here, he has an incredible attitude. 

“It was really important for him to do this triathlon and raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind to show that you shouldn’t let anything stand in your way: you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to.”

With the initial target of raising £250, Chris has now raised £580 through his JustGiving page (www.justgiving.com/chris-marshal12) and taken this total to well over £1,000 thanks to the support and sponsorship of local shops and businesses.  

Chris, who carried on exercising after completing the triathlon, said: “raising money for Guide Dogs for the Blind means a lot to me; outside of the gym, guide dogs are probably my main interest. A lot of people don’t realise it takes £50,000 to raise and train a guide dog and that this is generated through a charity. Guide dogs can make such a positive difference to so many people, so I want to raise as much money and awareness as possible to let them carry on the amazing work.

“I’m keen to get on the waiting list to get a guide dog of my own. I don’t know what the plan is for the next fundraiser, but I’m definitely going to stay involved with the charity.”