Edinburgh student to run over 100 miles for Fight for Sight

Media Contact: Lizzie Webster
Telephone: 0207 264 3904
Email address: lizzie@fightforsight.org.uk

Edinburgh student to run over 100 miles for Fight for Sight

Gary Hamilton, 22, a student at Edinburgh Napier University, is planning to run over 100 miles in 2012 to help raise vital funds for Fight for Sight, the leading UK charity dedicated to funding pioneering research to prevent sight loss and treat eye disease.

Gary, a sports and exercise student from Edinburgh, lost the sight in his right eye following a sporting accident two years ago, and is determined to do as much as he can to help give hope to others living with visual impairment. He plans to take part in nine events taking place across the UK throughout 2012, running 103 miles to raise £1,000 to support Fight for Sight’s work.

Gary said: “Prior to my accident, I was really sporty and healthy, but since I lost the sight in my right eye, it’s been hard to get back to the level I once was. Luckily, there is a chance that my vision could be restored through a corneal transplant. My experience has made me realise just how much I took my sight for granted, and although there’s hope for my vision, there are millions of other people living with the knowledge that they may never see again.

“Running over 100 miles will be no mean feat, but the fact that I’ll be helping Fight for Sight make sight loss a thing of the past will give me all the motivation I need!”

Michele Acton, Chief Executive of Fight for Sight, said: “Gary is really going the extra mile for the charity, and we hope as many people as possible will support him as he clocks up the miles! Fight for Sight established the UK Corneal Transplant Service in 1983 with the aim of helping thousands of people just like Gary, and we very much hope to see his sight restored.”

Gary’s 103 mile journey kicks off with the Meadows Half Marathon on Sunday 4th March 2012. To support him, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Gary-Runningman. To find out more about Fight for Sight, please visit www.fightforsight.org.uk or call 0207 264 3900.
 
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Notes to Editors:
1. For more information, please contact Lizzie Webster, Media and Communications Officer at Fight for Sight on 0207 264 3904 or at lizzie@fightforsight.org.uk
2. Fight for Sight is the leading UK charity dedicated to funding pioneering research to prevent sight loss and treat eye disease.
3. Fight for Sight is funding research at leading universities and hospitals throughout the UK. Major achievements to date include:
• saving the sight of thousands of premature babies through understanding and controlling levels of oxygen delivery
• restoring sight by establishing the UK Corneal Transplant Service enabling over 52,000 corneal transplants to take place
• providing the funding for the research leading to the world’s first clinical trial for choroideremia
• bringing hope to children with inherited eye disease by helping to fund the team responsible for the world’s first gene therapy clinical trial
• identifying new genes responsible for keratoconus and Nance-Horan syndrome
4. Fight for Sight’s current research programme is focusing on preventing and treating age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataract. We are also funding research into the causes of childhood blindness and a large number of rare eye diseases.