History Disability Sports Organisations The history of British Blind Sport History Sport for people who are blind or partially sighted has a long history, going back over 100 years. It is said that Spain founded blind football in the 1920s and Austria founded goalball in the 1940s, a sport developed specifically for people with sight loss rather than an adapted sport. Timeline of visually impaired sports at the Summer Paralympic Games Click here to access the timeline as a pdf document or download a Microsoft Word document. British Blind Sport (BBS) was founded as the British Organisation of Sport and Recreation Activities for the Blind (BASRAB) in November 1975, six years before the International Blind Sports Association was established in 1981. BBS supports blind and partially sighted athletes by providing opportunities to take part in sport across the UK. They are one of seven National Disability Sports Organisations in the UK focused on making sport accessible for disabled people from grassroots participation to elite competition. There are almost 2 million people in the UK living with sight loss. This is set to rise to over 4 million by 2050. BBS helps to connect those with sight loss to sport opportunities, enhancing lives, building friendships, and contributing to Britain's success at the Paralympic Games. BBS has encouraged and helped develop many amazing athletes who have gone on to represent Great Britain at Paralympic and Championship level, with support by coaches and the wider team. The British Blind Sport logo was designed in 2014 by CEO, Alaina MacGregor, who worked with the creative agency, One Black Bear, who finessed her sketched idea. Hosting the 2023 International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Games On the 18th to 27th August 2023 British Blind Sport had the pleasure of hosting the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Games in Birmingham. It was the first time the World Games had been hosted in the UK and it was the biggest one to date. 1056 athletes from 64 countries represented blind and partially sighted sport at its very best. The 10-day event incorporated the IBSA World Blind Football Championships along with competitions across ten other sports: partially sighted football, goalball, archery, cricket, tenpin bowling, showdown, chess, powerlifting and judo. Along with the athletes and 719 support staff and officials, 354 local people offered over 12,000 hours of voluntary support. This was a historic moment for blind and partially sighted sport. International interest brought over 33,600 worldwide media mentions with a potential reach of 1.64 billion audience views during the Games, where the world could watch the triumphs, the tears, and the celebrations. Quote from Alaina MacGregor, CEO at British Blind Sport: British Blind Sport took the lead on creating this unique event with a steadfast aim: ‘Look beyond the disability and focus on the performance of elite sport at its finest’. Through the hard work and commitment of our partner stakeholders and our team, we believe we achieved our aim. A huge thank you to everyone involved in making the IBSA World Games 2023 a resounding success. Pioneers British Blind Sport was set up in 1975 by pioneers Mike Brace CBE and Roy Smith MBE. Two years prior, in 1973 Mike and Roy established Metro Blind Sports to support people with sight loss in London, an organisation still going strong today, and establishing a national organisation was the next step to ensure opportunities for people across the whole country. Roy served as Metro Blind Sports Chair from 1984 until 2014 when he became Chief Executive in 2014. Mike Brace CBE Mike Brace CBE lost his vision in an accident with fireworks aged ten. He went on to compete in cross-country skiing. Read more about Mike Brace here. He commented on what was available for blind people at the time: When we left school, there was virtually nothing. No organised sport, especially in relation to team sports as well as individual sports. In 1973 eight of us got together in a pub and decided we would form a sports club in London called the Metro. Mike Brace CBE competing at the Innsbruck 1984 Winter Paralympic Games in Austria. Image © Mike Brace. Roy Smith MBE Roy Smith MBE lost his eyesight when he was 21 years old, going on to become a professional athlete competing in the high jump at the Arnhem 1980 Paralympic Games. He was awarded the MBE in 1991 for his services to disability sport and was Chair of Metro Blind Sports from 1984 to 2014. He served as Chef de Mission for the ParalympicsGB team at the New York 1984 Paralympic Games. He was also selected to be one of the torchbearers for the London 2012 Paralympics. Roy Smith MBE, pioneer of British Blind Sport. Image © Roy Smith Coaches Many coaches have been involved with British Blind Sport here we have highlighted the career of goalball legend Dina Murdie BEM. Dina Murdie BEM Dina Murdie BEM with the Sydney 2000 ParalympicsGB goalball team. Image © Dina Murdie Dina has been involved with goalball for over 60 years. She spent her career as a physical education teacher at Chorley Wood School for girls with little or no sight, and later with New College Worcester School with whom it merged. She combined this with coaching her students in swimming and goalball many of whom went on to compete for Great Britain. Working with British Blind Sport she became a women’s goalball coach and has been involved since in many ways, including as a referee for goalball at the London 2012 Paralympics, a defining and special moment in her career. She was appointed as the competition manager for goalball at the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Games in Birmingham in August 2023. She received the British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to sport for visually impaired people in 2018. Athletes Here are some of the athletes involved with British Blind Sport. Stephen Brown, powerlifting Stephen won many national and international championships but didn’t participate at a Paralympic Games. He got involved in sport through the work of British Blind Sport and started powerlifting in 1993, training at Bradford University, and going on to become a world champion. He achieved eight world records at the World Blind Powerlifting Championships at Arnhem, Netherlands in 2000. In 2002 he defended his title and achieved ten more world records. He was British Champion in the Masters for sighted competitors that year too. Image of Stephen's powerlifting belt © NPHT/Stephen Brown collection David Clarke OBE, goalball and blind football David competed at four Paralympic Games from goalball at the Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Games and blind football at the Beijing and London 2012 Games. He was also the stadium torch bearer at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Games. He represented his country 144 times during that period and scored 128 goals which makes him Britain’s highest scorer in football. David is CEO at ParalympicsGB and was awarded an OBE in June 2023. Read more about David Clarke here. Image credit © Getty Images. Libby Clegg MBE, athletics and cycling Libby has won 5 medals, 2 gold and 3 silver and competed at three Paralympic Games from London 2012 to Tokyo 2020. Libby is a sprinter and a tandem track cyclist who has represented both Scotland and Great Britain at international level. Libby won gold in the T11 100m and 200m at the Rio games in 2016 and a silver in the T11 4 x 100 relay at Tokyo 2020. In 2022 she switched to tandem cycling. She was awarded an MBE in 2017 for her services to athletics. Libby has previously said that attending a British Blind Sport taster day enabled her to get into sport. Image credit © Getty Images Neil Fachie OBE, athletics and cycling Neil has won 4 medals, 2 gold and 2 silver and competed at four Paralympic Games from Beijing 2008 to Tokyo 2020. Neil is a now a cyclist but began his career as a track athlete. His debut was at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics and after failing to make the podium, he switched to cycling for London 2012. He achieved two gold medals during those Games, a silver at Rio 2016 and a gold at Tokyo 2020. In 2022 Neil and wife Lora were both awarded an OBE in the Birthday Honours List. Image © SWPix Lora Fachie OBE, athletics and cycling Lora has won 4 medals, 2 gold,1 silver and 1 bronze and competed at three Paralympic Games from London 2012 to Tokyo 2020. Having been a competitive runner, she made her Paralympic debut at London 2012 in cycling. Between those Games and Tokyo 2020, she has achieved World Championship medals in track and road races. She married Neil Fachie in October 2016 and she is also the sister of Roy Turnham. Having been awarded an MBE in 2017, she was promoted to OBE in 2022. Read more about Lora Fachie here Image © SWPix Darren Harris, judo and blind football Darren has won 2 medals, 1 silver and 1 bronze at the European championships. He competed at two Paralympic Games, in judo at Beijing 2008 and blind football at London 2012. Darren competed in blind judo between 2004 and 2011, achieving a silver medal in 2007 and a bronze medal in 2009 at the European championships. He was a footballer who between 1996 and 2019, achieved 157 caps for England and scored 34 goals. Read more about Darren Harris here. Image credit © Getty Images. Robert Matthews MBE, athletics and cycling Robert (Bob) won 13 medals, 8 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze and competed at eight Paralympic Games from Arnhem 1980 to London 2012. Bob made his Paralympic debut at Arnhem 1980 in goalball and then went on to compete in athletics. He achieved gold medals in the 800, 1500 and 5000 metre events as well as achieving 22 world records. After taking up residence in New Zealand, he represented the country in cycling at London 2012. He was awarded an MBE in 1987 for services to disability sport. Read more about Bob Matthews here. Image credit © NPHT/Bob Matthews collection. Tim Reddish CBE, swimming Tim has won 9 medals, 2 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze and competed at three Paralympic Games from Barcelona 1992 to Sydney 2000. Tim competed in B1/B2 and later S11-13 events for swimmers with a visual impairment. He was awarded an MBE in 2001, promoted to OBE in 2008 and then promoted to CBE in 2017. Tim has continued to have an illustrious career in sport, holding the position of Chair at the British Paralympic Association during London 2012 and, more recently a Governing Member of the International Paralympic Committee. Read more about Tim Reddish here. Image credit © Getty Images Naomi Riches MBE, rowing Naomi has won 2 medals, 1 gold and 1 bronze and competed at two Paralympic Games from Beijing 2008 to London 2012. Her debut was at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics and as a member of the mixed cox four team, she was awarded a bronze medal. She achieved her gold medal at London 2012 and retired the following year. She was awarded an MBE in 2013. Read more about Naomi Riches here. Image credit © Getty Images Ian Rose, judo Ian has won 2 medals, 1 silver and 1 bronze and has competed at five Paralympic Games from Barcelona 1992 to Beijing 2008. Ian was a judoka and took up the sport at age 7 years old. He won the bronze medal for the 86 kg men’s judo at Atlanta 1996 and silver at the 100kg men’s judo at Athens 2004. Read more about Ian Rose here. Image credit © Ian Rose Hannah Russell OBE, swimming Hannah has won 8 medals, 3 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze and competed at three Paralympic Games from London 2012 to Tokyo 2020. In Rio 2016, she won the gold medal in the 100m backstroke with the time of 1:06:06 earning her the World Record. Hannah competed in S12 classification events for swimmers with a visual impairment. Hannah announced her retirement from competitive swimming in September 2022. In 2017 she was awarded an MBE and was promoted to OBE in 2022. She now works as a primary school teacher. Image credit © Getty Images Noel Thatcher MBE, athletics Noel has won 11 medals, 5 golds, 3 silvers and 2 bronze and competed at six Paralympic Games from New York City 1984 to Athens 2004. Noel received an MBE in 1997 and currently works as a physiotherapist. He is also fluent in Japanese and works in a voluntary capacity for the Japan Foundation and Japan Sports Council to promote Japanese language, culture and sport. He was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. Noel attributes the start of his career to attending a British Blind Sport taster day event. Image credit © Getty Images Roy Turnham, athletics and blind football Roy has represented Great Britain at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Roy is a blind footballer who began playing competitively for Everton in 2008 in the Blind Football League. He is the brother of Paralympic cyclist Lora Fachie and cricketer Mark Turnham both visually impaired, a talented family. Roy’s sporting career began with middle distance and cross-country running but following a problem with his feet his sporting career faltered until he took up football. Music is his other profession and passion and he toured with the Liverpool Youth Orchestra as a drummer and has made a living through gigs. During 2020, Roy raised £3,300 for British Blind Sport during a 26-hour drumming session to help recover funds lost during the coronavirus lockdowns. Image credit © Getty Images Learn more Global Virtual Museum Explore the British Blind Sport Gallery British Blind Sport Visit their website here. Thank you to our funders The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players, and the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund run by the Museums Association, for their financial support to this work. Manage Cookie Preferences