"Never giving up is my motto"
Posted: Monday 06 July 2026
Despite deteriorating eyesight, difficult terrain and torrential weather, 80-year-old David was determined to complete a gruelling two-day challenge, raising more than £2,500 to support others living with macular disease and fund vital research.
The challenge, which included a 17-mile walk along the River Severn from Bewdley to Bridgnorth and a 15-mile canoe journey back downstream, was something David and his friend Norman had wanted to do for six years.
But, the pair did not anticipate the torrential rain that left them soaked to the skin as they battled fast-flowing water to complete the challenge.
David said: "The water out of the sky was torrential. It was stair rods.”
He added: “I stripped off and I was soaked to the skin. My Macular Society t-shirt, which I'd worn proudly on the walk the previous day, was wringing wet.”
A challenge of two halves
The challenge was one of two halves, and while it did rain on the first day, their waterproofs kept them dry.
David said: “The first day was absolutely brilliant. So much so that I thought, ‘I'm going to do this again’. Not the same walk, but a different one."
The next day the rain was relentless. The friends picked up their canoe from River Severn Canoes, who had donated the boat for the challenge and business owner Monty gave them the opportunity to postpone. But, they were determined not to let the weather defeat them.
"It was coming down and for the first five miles it was incredibly unpleasant," he said. "It was very fast-flowing. We were miserable."
Powered by determination
But, the pair continued and completed the 15-mile journey in five-mile stages, with support from Monty all the way.
“Monty was at every five miles to make sure we were there, to help us. And at the very end he was there to get the canoe out the river at Bewdley.”
While the challenge was gruelling, David was determined to keep going. “Never wanting to give up on anything is my life's motto,” he said.
While he had wanted to complete the challenge for several years, his friend Norman suggested doing it for charity and David saw it as a great opportunity to support a cause close to his heart.
“I didn't think of any charity other than the Macular Society," he said.
Deteriorating sight
David has lived with macular disease for 15 years after he was diagnosed at 65.
Talking about his diagnosis David recalled: “I was driving down the motorway, down the M5. I was going to be away in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset for at least a week and I noticed the dashboard change in front of my eyes.”
He knew his wife was going in for a check at Specsavers that day so he rang her to ask her to describe his symptoms to them.
“She rang me back a couple of hours later and said, ‘get yourself to the nearest hospital, you need checking.’
"I drove to Exeter, waited all day to get somebody to check, and they diagnosed the very early signs of macular degeneration.”
He added: “It’s been a slow process of deterioration ever since."
Hopes for a cure
David has accepted that his own sight is unlikely to improve, but hopes the money he has helped raise will help others living with macular disease and support research into a cure.
He said: "I just hope that it goes to helping people with my condition, either not as bad or worse, and to find a cure."
Fundraising and events
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