Blind veteran Peter Price was praised recently at the Blind Veterans UK Founder's Day Awards, where he won Sportsman of the Year. The archer is the holder of a variety of national and club records in his sport, the charity reports.  

He was the first ever archer to gain a score of more than 500 while shooting with a tactile sighting device on a six dozen arrow round indoors.

Mr Price gained his recent Sportsman of the Year recognition for determination, drive and commitment to his sport.

Blind Veterans UK has worked with him since 2010, giving him help after he lost his sight, and it was through the charity that he was first introduced to blind archery.

"Winning a Blind Veterans UK Founder's Day Award was a total shock to me. I felt very emotional and privileged to have been acknowledged by the charity in this way," he has said.

Mr Price, who was born in 1948, worked for the army in the Middle East after signing up in the 1960s. Before he was discharged in 1972, he also worked in Germany as well as Northern Ireland.

He has explained that archery has been a big confidence boost for him.

He's become immersed in the sport and being successful in it has made him determined to try more activities like Boccia, he says. This is a ball game that features in the Paralympics.

"I am now a training to be a Boccia teacher, so that I can pass on what I have learnt to others, and I am also a committee member in the Peterborough Disability Sports Forum through which I coach disabled archery. I know that I wouldn't have come this far if it had not been for the support of Blind Veterans UK," he added.

Peter did not lose his vision while in service, but some time afterwards through cone dystrophy, an eye condition. Blind Veterans UK offered its help to Mr Price because of his time in service and the fact he was experiencing sight loss.

More recently, he started performance-boosting physical training.

Meanwhile, among the fundraising efforts people are planning for Blind Veterans UK, Banbury local Paul Needle has a charity bike ride on the cards, the organisation has also reported.

He'll take part in the Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100 later this year, and other people can be part of the Blind Veterans UK team for the event by registering by May 9th.

People who already secured a place at the Prudential Ride are being encouraged to become part of the team, too.

The team registration fee is £49 and riders are asked to pledge that they will gather £500 or more of sponsorship.

Mr Needle – a one-time service man – wants to finish the August 10th bike ride event in a little over five hours.

"We'd like to hear from anyone interested in applying for one our charity places on the ride – or from anyone who has a ballot place for the race but hasn't yet chosen a charity," commented Blind Veterans UK events officer, Victoria Marshall.

Sadly, this came after the charity recently gave word that its chief executive, Robert Leader, had died of cancer on April 17th.

In other recent news, fellow charity Combat Stress recently reported that 19 people ran the London Marathon last month to raise money for its cause. And 13 took part in the Brighton Marathon some time before this.

Overall, the charity gathered thousands in donations thanks to the people who ran these two races on its behalf.  One runner at the latter event, Josh Small, took part wearing combats and a 20kg backpack.

[Image shows a stock photograph of an archery target.] ADNFCR-2867-ID-801717721-ADNFCR

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