Typhoon Display Pilot Jim Peterson Cycles for St Pauls Eye Unit

ASALI are proud to be sponsoring the Typhoon Display team.

We are really excited to be sponsoring the cycle ride of the RAF Typhoon Display Pilot Jim Peterson and his team from RAF Coningsby to St Paul’s Eye Unit at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. They will be raising funds for its charity as a thank you for saving Jim’s sight years ago.

Freak accident

In 2000, whilst studying at Liverpool University, a freak accident resulted in a shard of glass from a broken bottle flying into Jimâs left eye.Â Jim was admitted into the internationally renowned St Paulâs Eye Unit, where consultant eye surgeon, Mark Batterbury, fought to save Jimâs sight and RAF career.

Mark performed an emergency operation and carefully stitched his eye with 12 sutures. Over the following 6 months, Jimâs eyesight returned and he was able to continue with his flying training and childhood dream of becoming a fighter pilot. At the time Jim was part of the Liverpool University Air Squadron and under a scholarship scheme that allowed him to study maths and flying at the same time! Prior to this Jim was in the Air Cadets – a great way to enter the RAF for anyone wondering how to get on the ladder!

Jim said, âEver since my parents took me to an air show in Bournemouth when I was 10 years old, all I have wanted to be is a fighter pilot, and to then have that nearly taken away from me was a low point in my life.

âI have never forgotten how lucky I was that day to be in the best pair of hands and receive the best care humanly possible.Â To show my appreciation all these years later, the team and I are utilising a rare weekend off by cycling over 180 miles from RAF Coningsby, where 29 Typhoon Squadron are based, to Liverpool to say thanks and raise some money for the hospital.â

The Cycle Ride

The journey, starting on July 19th at 8am, will take the team from the extreme flats of Lincolnshire through to the extreme hills of the Peak District and probably all into wind.Â They aim to reach Liverpool in less than 36 hours from when they set off (including sleep if they get any!). Their first stop will be the Brayford, Lincolnshire where Jim will have a quick chat with Melvyn from BBC Lincolnshire.

jim peterson pedal electric cycle ride

The team are asking people to get involved with the challenge by following their journey on the twitter account, @TyphoonDisplay, and sponsor them.

Jim continued, âWe know this challenge isnât going to be easy but St Paulâs really is a special place for me and I know from my experience the tremendous work they do to prevent people losing their sight.Â Every penny donated will be used by the specialist teams in St Paulâs to carry out pioneering research to prevent sight loss. Any donations will be very gratefully received and we thank you for your generosity.â

Consultant Corneal Surgeon, Mark Batterbury said;

âI remember receiving the call on that day and due to the Jimâs job instantly knew the potential impact that injury would have on his career. Â It was a delicate but successful operation and I am so pleased to discover that Jim has climbed to the height of his career.
We are extremely grateful to Jim and the team for remembering us and for choosing to raise funds for our charity. We are fortunate in Liverpool to attract some of the worldâs leading eye specialists to work here and share ideas on tackling some of the greatest causes of sight loss. The money raised will enable us to carry our research to enable us to convert those ideas into world-leading treatments.â

ASALI will be live at the Brayford Wharf, Lincoln to welcome the team on their first stop before they move onward and upward. Tune into our facebook page and or Melvyn at BBC Radio Lincolnshire around 10am on Friday July 20th.Â