Blind and deaf, but determined to travel

Metro
5 September 2007

He’s bungee jumped in New Zealand, skydived in Oz and travelled 320,000km (200,000 miles) to every continent in the world.

Action man Tony Giles gets around a bit – even though he’s blind and partially deaf.

The fearless solo backpacker, 28, has visited 32 countries since 2000 and says he experiences the stunning settings through the local people and his sense of touch and smell.

The masters student from Weston-super-Mare said: ‘It can be scary when you can’t see your backpack on a bus. But it can be funny too. I walked into a row of surfboards on a beach in Hawaii. They just fell like a set of dominoes.’

 Extreme: Tony bungee jumps Kawarau Bridge in New Zealand

© Associated Metro Limited 2007