Sport plays a massive role in my life, it's where the bulk of my friendships have come from, it's given me some amazing opportunities, and has helped boost my confidence massively.
Meet Vicki, 34, from Stoke-on-Trent. Vicki lives with optic atrophy and nystagmus. Her conditions mean that she has no peripheral vision past her shoulders, poor depth perception and spatial awareness, and poor night vision. Her central vision is blurry but corrected with glasses.
A keen ice skater, Vicki said: "I skated as a young child in the 90s in group lessons, but didn't do particularly well, and stopped after 18 months."
"In 2012, I started attending my local rink having one to one lesson's when funds allowed. In 2017, I started regular lessons and have skated at least once a week since. I started out on the public sessions, got chatting to one of the coaches and it all went from there. Now I compete, both in events for skaters with a disability organised by Inclusive Skating, and in mainstream events organised by British Ice Skating."
We asked Vicki if she had faced any challenges in her sport, she said:
"The biggest challenge has been learning to navigate busy practice sessions and competition warmups. Fortunately, everyone I've encountered has been lovely and once I explain the amount of sight I have they try and give me the space I need so that I can have an effective session. Ice skating is a tough sport, and my progress is slower than my peers so it can be hard to not compare myself to them, but I try and remember we're all on our own journey, mine is just a more sedate one at times!"
Vicki's biggest sporting achievement was representing Great Britain at a skating event in Finland. She said: "It was a massive highlight and something I never thought I'd get to do. Long term, I am hoping to qualify as a coach and share my passion for the sport with others."
More recently Vicki competed in a mainstream event in Sheffield, winning one gold and two bronze medals. Vicki's next competitions will be the British Adult Championships in March, the Blackpool Ice Skating Festival, and the Inclusive Skating World Championships in April.
We asked Vicki what advice she would give to anyone living with a visual impairment looking to get involved, she said: "If there's something you'd like to do, give it a try. Especially if your previous experiences of sport haven't been positive, it can be scary to try something new, but don't let that fear hold you back. I'm a firm believer that there's a sport out there for everyone, sometimes we just have to try a few to find the one that fits us the best."
Vicki added: "I live with family, and outside of work within the Civil Service and skating, I love to travel. I've travelled a lot independently and with friends. In 2015, I did Camp America where I worked at a summer camp for 7 weeks than travelled as part of an escorted tour group for two weeks after."
To find out more about ice skating and how to get involved, visit: https://bit.ly/3MYvGEc
Vicki Smart ice skating on the rink.
