20-year-old Alfie from West Sussex is an S13 (B3) swimmer and part of Swim England's 'Para Bespoke National Talent Programme'. Alfie has been swimming competitively for approximately five years, and his long-term goal is to be part of the Great Britain squad and be selected for a future Paralympic Games. Away from his busy training and competition schedule, Alfie enjoys going out with friends, going to theme parks, and watching TV.
Alfie said: "I was born with a condition called acromatopsia, which causes photophobia, colour-blindness, short-sightedness, and nystagmus. Nystagmus is a condition in which the eyes make involuntary movements. Movement can be side-to-side, up, and down, or in a circular motion resulting in reduced vision and poor depth perception. The condition can also affect a person's balance and coordination."
He added: "Nystagmus does not affect me too much when training in the pool or in the gym however, it does cause me to become tired when reading for long periods of time. This can be particularly frustrating when trying to find information about swimming competitions."
We asked Alfie, what is it that you love about being in the pool? He said: "My favourite stroke is front crawl. I love that feeling of setting goals and achieving them. Swimming has also been hugely beneficial to my mental health, and I have been given numerous opportunities which I would otherwise never have had."
Before swimming, Alfie tried many different sports including climbing, football, cricket and karate. He said: "One of the challenges I have faced on my swimming journey is having to catch-up on development in such a short time, as I didn't start swimming competitively until years after most people do."
British Blind Sport (BBS) has given individuals like Alfie the opportunity to compete alongside other visually impaired swimmers at the annual BBS National Youth Swimming Gala. Alfie said: "Seeing so many visually impaired swimmers participating inspired me and gave me the confidence to pursue my journey as a para-athlete."
Alfie has since gone on to competed twice at the World Para Swimming Series, in Aberdeen and Berlin.
Alfie added: "If I could give any advice to an inactive person living with nystagmus, who isn't aware of the opportunities available, I would say 'don't be afraid'. Ask for help and just have a go."
To learn more about nystagmus, visit: www.nystagmusnetwork.org
To find out more about swimming and how to get involved, go to: www.britishblindsport.org.uk/az/swimming
British Blind Sport has partnered with UK Coaching and Swim England to create a bespoke e-learning course to give coaches at all levels more confidence in helping those who are blind or partially sighted pursue swimming as a hobby or career. To find out more, go to: www.britishblindsport.org.uk/coaching-people-with-a-visual-impairment
