Blind man takes on charity swim across harbour

A blind man is set to swim across a stretch of Cork Harbour to raise funds for a national charity which helped transform his life.

John Shanahan, 48, from Midleton in East Cork, who lost his sight gradually in recent years, will swim almost 3km from East Ferry to Lower Aghada on August 23 to help the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind (IGDB) train more guide dogs.

He also hopes his swim will inspire other blind or visually impaired people to take on personal challenges.

He will be joined by up to 60 others swimmers in the open water swim fundraiser.

“I want to raise money for and awareness about the work the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind does,” John said.

“But my biggest point here is to prove that just because you’re visually impaired or blind doesn’t mean you can’t take part in outdoor sports. You might be visually impaired, but that shouldn’t stop you.”

The father of six began losing his sight over seven years ago as a result of a rare genetic condition. Today, he has just 2% vision. John said there were difficult times in the early stages of his sight loss.

“There was a point when I thought there was nothing left for me, that I was going to be a burden to my family for the rest of my life,” he said.

“There were times when I wasn’t in a good place and was scared about what was left for me.

“As a dad, what really kicks me sometimes, is when my son, Oisín, is playing a match and I can’t see what’s going on.

“I’d have all the other dads coming over and saying he’s such a talented hurler. That really gets to me sometime.”

But thanks to the IGDB and the unwavering support of his family, John has overcome the challenges.

“Without my wife, Shirley, I just couldn’t have done what I have done over the last seven years,” he said.

“Sometimes when you have something, you take it for granted. But she has always been there. A lot of blind people depend on their families so much.”

And he said his life was transformed when he got his trusted guide dog, Vasco, who was trained and supplied by the IGDB four years ago.

“No human being could do what he does for me every day. That dog reads my mind,” he said.

John tandem cycles with triathlete Gary Ness, who will also pilot the boat for him during his swimming fundraiser.

“I would like to thank Gary for giving up his time to make me a better person,” he said.

The Pepper Stack Bistro at Rosie’s in Lower Aghada, run by Martin and Imelda Budden, will sponsor food and refreshments for swimmers and their families after the event, and host a fundraising barbecue for the IGDB.

You can donate to the IGDB online at www.guidedogs.ie.