A BLIND army veteran from Cwmbran is in training to take part in the Brighton half marathon with his sighted guide in preparation for his third London Marathon.

Charlie Parkinson, 39, and his sighted guide Ben Black hope to beat their personal best time of one hour 55 minutes while raising awareness and funds for Blind Veterans UK.

The event takes place on Sunday February 28 and Mr Parkinson raising money for the charity after they helped him following his loss of sight.

“I owe my life to Blind Veterans UK. When I got support, everything started looking up. They basically got me back on my feet and on track with my life,” said Mr Parkinson.

He joined the Army as an infantryman in 1995 and served until 1998 in the UK, Cyprus and Jordan but re-enlisted in 2001, joining the Royal Army Medical Corps until October 2002.

Mr Parkinson was diagnosed with glaucoma in both eyes and lost the sight in his left eye after he left the Army to work in the construction industry.

He said: “The sight loss stopped me doing what I loved. I used to play rugby and had to stop. I boxed for my battalion and it stopped me doing that as well. And then, when I lost the sight in both my eyes, it really hit home.”

At present, he has a prosthetic in one eye and, last year had five operations to retain some sight in the other.

The charity helped Mr Parkinson find running despite his lack of vision, by giving him a treadmill, although he prefers to run outdoors.

He said: “Running has kept me fit and it’s something I enjoy. I have the treadmill, but I like running outside. I feel a sense of freedom.

“I’m particularly looking forward to completing the Half Marathon with the help of my long-time friend Ben. He’s supported me in hitting my fitness targets for Blind Veterans UK. I couldn’t do without him.”

To donate to his fundraising endeavours, visit justgiving.com/charliechallenges/.