September 11, 2023
Nanango resident Charlie Hughes’ life changed overnight in 2020.
The keen sportsman and fisherman applied for a job at the Kilcoy Meatworks … and failed the eye test.
He soon received the bad news from a specialist, he had a rare case of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) and was going blind.
“In one day I lost my licence, my work and playing sport,” Charlie, 32, told southburnett.com.au.
He was playing cricket in the South Burnett B Grade competition but had to give this away as his eyesight deteriorated.
“But my cricket mates stuck by me,” he said.
He’s still playing cricket … every Sunday in Morayfield with the “Blind Bats” who play a modified version known as “Beep Cricket”.
Charlie can see just six metres in front of himself, and has 30 per cent central vision, but that has not stopped him for planning a big adventure.
On November 11, he will leave Nanango’s Pioneer Park at the start of a 230km journey on foot to Vision Australia’s headquarters at Coorparoo in Brisbane.
He will be accompanied by his support worker, Tim Walsh, and will be collecting funds along the way.
The pair plan to follow the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail as far as they can before heading into Brisbane.
They will stay at pubs along the way, and aim to arrive at Coorparoo on November 17.
“It’s going to be hard but I am determined to do it all the way,” Charlie said.
He has been in training, walking the trail from Blackbutt to Moore last week; and Nanango to Yarraman this week.
RP is a genetic condition, and Charlie has been unlucky to inherit it.
“My grandfather was blind when he was 15 but it skipped a generation,” he said.
Charlie is keen to raise money to assist Vision Australia, but also hopes to raise awareness about the lack of support for people with vision difficulties in the South Burnett.
“There is nothing up here for them,” he said.
“We need more disability support, blindness doctors. All the doctors are in Brisbane.
“Hopefully it will bring something up this way for us.”
Charlie hopes to raise more than $3500 with his walk but there’s one other thing that he would like help with.
“I’m looking for someone to donate some shoes, a good pair of running shows, for the walk,” he said.
Donations to support Charlie’s walk can be made online, and he can be contacted on 0435-799-280.
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