For British entrepreneur and computer engineer Chris Mairs, SEE International’s mission of preventing blindness and restoring sight worldwide is deeply personal. Blind since age 18, due to a rare condition called retinitis pigmentosa, Chris raised over £100,000 for eye sight research in 2012 on a 10-day, 1,000-mile tandem bike ride across the U.K.
Five years later, Chris has an even more ambitious trip planned, with an equally impressive goal: cure 60 people of sight loss every day, for 60 consecutive days, at the age of 60. This June, Chris will be biking just over 3,600 miles across North America, to fund 3,600 sight restoring surgeries. Chris and his co-rider will average over 60 miles per day, from Oregon to New Hampshire, on a tandem bike. Their route across North America covers ten states and two countries.
“Cataract surgery undertaken by the highly qualified SEE volunteers is one of the most cost-effective medical interventions in the world. I am incredibly excited to be helping them with this amazing work.”
Chris Mairs
Throughout his journey, Chris will be blogging daily, documenting his ride and educating the public about blindness, interspersed with amusing anecdotes from his ride and his life. To follow Chris’s progress, visit his website www.alineofsight.org.uk or follow us on social media.
Curious about what specific sight-restoring programs Chris is supporting? Here are few highlights: Namibia, Fiji, Cambodia, and India.
Please consider making a gift today to support Chris’s ride across North America to restore sight worldwide! A gift of any size will make a difference and help transform lives forever.
Please Note: If you are a UK taxpayer then please go here to make your donation and indicate that you would like to claim GiftAid on your donation.
SEE International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization (Tax ID: 31-1682275). Your donations are fully tax-deductible to the extent allowable by U.S. law.
If you encounter any problems with this page or have any questions or comments please email us at info@seeintl.org or call (877) 937-3133.
More about Chris:
Chris’s commitment to preventing blindness has gained national recognition. In 2014, he was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). He is a lifelong athlete, having led the British Disabled Waterski team to victory in 3 world championships.
He co-founded the voice technology company Metaswitch Networks, and is now a Partner at Entrepreneur First. He is also a dedicated advocate for digital skills education, and serves as a trustee of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, putting the power of digital making into the hands of people all over the world.
