When Tim began losing his sight in his 30s, he turned to swimming. It quickly went from a sport he enjoyed to something which gave him structure, routine, and whole new career as a Paralympic athlete. Outside of the pool, he dedicated his working life to helping other disabled athletes achieve their potential and raising the profile of the Paralympic movement. And throughout all these successes - in and out of the pool - his six guide dogs have been by his side giving him the freedom to pursue his passions.
Sport is great at promoting inclusion but also showing that you can achieve your dreams. My motto is always: provide me with the opportunity – don’t worry about my impairment or my disability – and we can succeed together.
“I was diagnosed with a vision impairment at 31 – retinitis pigmentosa - and to be honest it was a bit of a shock. I had always loved swimming as a teen, so I went back to it after my diagnosis. Swimming gave me a purpose, it gave me structure, but it also gave me freedom. When I’m swimming, you wouldn’t know I’m blind.”
Tim competed in his first Paralympic Games in Barcelona in 1992, where he won silver and bronze medals. “When I was first diagnosed, disability sports weren’t funded, I had to pay my own way to the Games. And when I came back, the only people who’d known I had competed were my local paper, my family, and my guide dog.”
“Things are different now because of how the Paralympic movement has developed. There are more sports available for people with a vision impairment to try than when I was growing up. It’s not perfect, but it's better.”
Throughout his 13-year swimming career, Tim won 46 medals. Five of these were won at the 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games. Afterwards, he continued to pave the way for future para-athletes, working his way up to Executive Director of Para Swimming and later Chairman of the British Paralympic Association.
Tim continues to advocate for young para-athletes of the future – like 16-year-old Archie. Archie – who was diagnosed with retinal dystrophy as a toddler – swims in the same S11 category that Tim competed in. He already holds four British men’s records and is looking to break Tim’s 100m breaststroke record.
“When I see more and more youngsters coming along, that's so exciting to me. My records have stood for too long now, and hopefully, youngsters like Archie will continue breaking them.”
“To any young, visually impaired people out there, my message would be don’t let anybody stop you trying. Give everything a go, pester your teachers, pester your coaches. Sport is great for everybody and there will be one thing you are better at than anyone else.”
Support from Guide Dogs
Whilst sport has been one constant in Tim’s life, having a guide dog by his side has been another. “I couldn’t have achieved what I have, without the freedom my guide dogs have given me. In the early days, when I was losing my sight, I wasn’t sure if a guide dog was right for me – I knew I would be travelling for my sport, and you can’t fold up your dog like your white cane.”
“I was paired with my first guide dog in 1990 – and with my five dogs since – they have given me freedom, self-belief, and opportunity. Whether it was as an athlete travelling from A to B, or my work in business, having a guide dog gives me freedom.”
The support from Guide Dogs has always been fantastic. There’s always someone there for me whether it’s been a WhatsApp message, telephone call, text message or visit.