Blind Paralympic judo hopeful appeals for help

Scott Bailey's appeal has a target of £5,000

A judo competitor who is blind and in the running to feature at the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028 has begun a fundraising campaign to help him get there.

Scott Bailey, 36, from Crewe, started judo seven years ago after losing his sight, and is trying to make Team GB.

Mr Bailey said he trained "relentlessly" and had competed at national and international levels, but chasing his dream of representing Britain at the "very top... comes with costs".

In a GoFundMe appeal with a target of £5,000, he stated the cost of travel to competitions and training camps, plus accommodation, specialist coaching and more was "starting to add up, and that's why I'm reaching out".

The appeal page said he lived with diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts, diabetes and epilepsy.

Mr Bailey was working in a milking parlour on a farm when he felt his sight start to go.

The damage was due to diabetic retinopathy, where high blood sugar damages the back of the eye.

Before losing his sight he took part in Thai boxing and he later discovered judo through the British Blind Sport website.

Despite winning gold medals in tournaments across Europe, he is self-funded.

Mr Bailey said it was "pretty tough to fund a sport like judo"

Mr Bailey told BBC Radio Stoke that competing in Egypt in July was self-funded and if he did well there "then I get through to Georgia which will be funded".

But he added: "I'm self funded for the other competitions like Brazil and things like that, so I've got to pay for my travel, I've got to pay for my hotels, my entry fees.

"When you've got a family, it's pretty tough to fund a sport like judo and travel the world."

Mr Bailey said it was "very stressful" and he supposed "anxiety provoking" when a competition was offered and "you can't actually say yes or no until you've looked at your finances".

"I suppose this is what the GoFundMe would really help with."