Paul
When Paul Innocent first picked up a golf club at 15, he never imagined just how important the sport would become in his life. A lifelong golfer from Calverton, Nottinghamshire, Paul, now 42, has played across many of the county’s courses – spending years refining his swing and mastering his game. For much of his adult life, golf was a hobby, a passion and a joy. But, after his wedding in June 2024, everything changed.
“I started noticing changes in my sight not long after my honeymoon,” Paul recalls. “We’d just come back from a cruise when I realised my right eye was fuzzy. The optician couldn’t see anything wrong. My eyes were healthy, but my vision wasn’t.”
After seeing specialists at the QMC and Addenbrooke’s hospital, Paul was finally diagnosed in January 2025 with LHON (Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy), a rare genetic condition that affects the optic nerves and causes vision loss. By early 2025, he had lost 95% of the vision in his right eye and 65% in his left.
The diagnosis was devastating. It meant surrendering his driving licence, shutting down his electrical business and facing a new life without sight. But despite the challenges, Paul found a way forward—through golf, determination and the support of those around him.
A New Way to Play
It was Paul’s wife, Kelly, who encouraged him to hold onto the parts of life he still loved.
“She said, ‘Let’s find the positives. What can you still do?’ I’ve always loved golf, so we searched online and found England & Wales Blind Golf. That was the turning point.”
Now a proud B2 classified player, Paul is blazing a trail on the blind golf circuit. With help from his guide, Steve Wainwright – who he met through the pub he runs with Kelly, The Windmill in Redmile – Paul has returned to competitive golf. Together, they’ve built a unique partnership: Steve acts as Paul’s eyes, lining him up, describing each hole and giving detailed guidance about every shot.
“I can’t see where I’m aiming or where the ball goes,” Paul explains. “But with Steve guiding me, I just focus on the mechanics. We use a special high-contrast ball—yellow and black, patterned like a football. It’s amazing what we’ve been able to achieve.”
And achieve he has. In July 2025, Paul clinched victory at the prestigious ISPS Handa British Blind Open, winning the B2 Gross
category – a remarkable feat in his first season of blind competition.
He also recently took home the Jack Kerfoot Cup at the Royal Norwich Golf Club.
Support from My Sight Notts
Paul credits much of his progress to the support he’s received from My Sight Notts and, more recently, its Shared Vision course – a series of workshops that focus on the practical and emotional effects of sight loss.
“Chris White, the Eye Clinic Liaison Officer based at the QMC, mentioned My Sight when I was diagnosed,” he says. “The next day, I spoke to Emma from the charity and I joined the Shared Vision group as soon as there was space. It’s been a lifeline.”
Paul has found purpose not just in playing golf, but in giving back. He helps other group members navigate technology, finds information for them on sports and activities and is even helping a 91-year-old fellow group member walk her dog for the first time in years.
“I’d like to give all my time to help others,” he says. “Especially younger people. Losing your sight in your 40s is a unique experience. I want to inspire people to find new meaning – like I did with golf. There is a way forward.”
