‘Wobbly eyes’ can’t stop young judo champion

When Daniel was diagnosed with the condition as a baby, his mum, Kathleen Fiddes, wanted to learn as much about it as possible.

She said: “I wanted to understand the implications that would have on his vision and how it would impact him and his life.”

To live with nystagmus, Daniel has developed different strategies such as being closer to the board in school and making the text larger if he is reading on his Kindle.

When it comes to sport, judging speeds and distances in ball games is difficult but judo, where the main aim is to hold on to your opponent until they can be thrown or pinned down, is something Daniel found much easier to get to grips with.

“It’s just really therapeutic almost, it just feels really natural to me,” he said.

Prof Erichsen said he can see why it is a sport that someone with nystagmus would be attracted to.

“If you think about it, you’ve got the whole body of your opponent to look at; they don’t need to see the person in detail,” he said.

Daniel said he was really happy to have come third in the British Schools VI Championships, a judo competition for people with a visual impairment.

This is not the first time he has got a podium place at the championships, having come second before.

Daniel said: “I want to keep competing and try to get gold next year.”

His mum Kathleen said: “I was super proud of him.

“He had a few really hard fights, and I saw a real improvement in him from the year before. He fought really well in all of his fights.

“He showed a lot of determination to hold his own in the fights and try not to get thrown by anyone else.”