Since he was born, Daniel Fiddes has suffered from nystagmus, a condition often known as “wobbly eyes”.<\/p>\n
It means his eyes move rapidly and uncontrollably, leaving his vision permanently impaired.<\/p>\n
His condition affects depth perception and focus, making tasks such as reading difficult. Sports involving balls, which need perception of speed and distance, are also a problem.<\/p>\n
But when Daniel discovered judo at the age of seven, everything changed.<\/p>\n
The 13-year-old, from Hamilton, recently won bronze in a national judo competition for the visually impaired.<\/p>\n
Nystagmus<\/strong> is a sight loss condition that affects 2.4 people per thousand in the UK, according to the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.<\/p>\n Daniel has infantile nystagmus, which develops around three to four months after birth.<\/p>\n Many people with the condition do not describe their vision as blurry but instead complain of strain and difficulty seeing.<\/p>\n In nystagmus, the eyes will be focusing on something and then start to drift away before quickly snapping back.<\/p>\n This eye movement happens very fast, between two to four times a second.<\/p>\n Nystagmus affects different areas of the eye in different people.<\/p>\n For some, the eye movement is worse when looking straight ahead compared to looking side-on.<\/p>\n In the worst positions for the eyes, sufferers feel more strain and tiredness.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n