A BLIND veteran from Shipley has secured his first international medal for Team GB at the British Taekwondo International Poomsae Championships in London.

Steve Birkin, 49, competed in the event last weekend and won silver as part of the GB Para-Poomsae squad.

Birkin, who only took up the sport two years ago, said: “This is totally new to me. When I lost my sight I wanted a goal to focus on and Taekwondo was something I could channel all my energy towards.

"As soon as I started competing, I fell in love with it. Since then I’ve been lucky enough to be scouted for the GB Para squad.”

Birkin, who was awarded Bradford Disability Sportsperson of the Year in 2018, is a member of the city’s Horizon Taekwondo Club. He has competed six times at club level and won gold medals on each occasion.

He said: “I’ve always been quite confident going into competitions but London was the first time I was competing for Team GB and I was really nervous.

"But once I was there it felt fantastic, knowing I was representing my country. I was over the moon with the result.”

After serving 12 years in the Royal Navy, Birkin had several roles within the IT sector, but in 2014 his life changed forever.

He said: “I started having these weird headaches, then I developed a blister on my eye so I was rushed to A&E. Within a month I was registered blind due to a rare condition known as chorioretinitis.”

Birkin had heard of Blind Veterans UK but said: “I wasn’t sure about it at first. I’m not a charity case and I didn’t want people looking after me.

"But, after learning more, I thought I’d give it a go. It was one of the best things I ever did. The charity helped me get back to having a normal life.”

Birkin attended an induction course at Blind Veterans UK’s rehabilitation and training centre in Llandudno, where he was provided with life skills training and taught how to use IT equipment using speech software.

He said: “Blind Veterans UK taught me that my sight loss shouldn’t hold me back from living my life and trying new challenges. That’s something that has spurred me on with my Taekwondo.”

With his first Team GB medal in hand, Birkin is now working towards a black belt in his club’s next grading in December.

Blind Veterans UK has a dedicated community team in Yorkshire who provide support, including training, equipment and social events, for vision-impaired ex-servicemen and women in the area.

Contact 0800 389 7979 if you know someone who has served in the Armed Forces and now lives with sight loss. Visit blindveterans.org.uk/support to learn more about the charity and how you can support its vital work.