Billy Baxter, born 1963 or 1964 (age 59–60),[1] served with the 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery in Bosnia. Whilst serving in 1997, he lost his sight after contracting a rare disease which destroyed both of his optic nerves.
On 2 August 2003, he set the blind solo world land speed record on a motorbike with a speed of 164.87mph (265.33km/h). On 17 August 2013 Baxter lost his record to Stuart Gunn of Edinburgh, who managed a speed of 167.1 mph (268.92 km/h) at Elvington air strip.[2]
In 2004, he was a guest on the BBC television programme Top Gear and drove a lap of their circuit as the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car", credited as the "Blind Man". He was guided around the circuit by the host, Jeremy Clarkson, and his official lap time was 2:02 minutes, which is faster than two of the fully sighted contestants (Terry Wogan and Richard Whiteley).[3] Ex-Stig Ben Collins however stated in his autobiography that during practice sessions Baxter completed the lap in a time of 1 minute and 58 seconds.
For the past few years, Baxter has been involved with various blind charities as a public speaker, educating groups of all ages about being blind as well as discussing his life experiences so far. He is currently enjoying life with full intensity, taking part in motorcycle riding, PSHE, learning to ski, and is now enjoying amateur dramatics.
In 2007 he completed a Blind Solo Lap of Donington Park.[4] "My biggest challenge yet, I rode my Ducati Monster around the hallowed circuit of Donington, the home of motorcycle racing, raising awareness for Vista, a charity helping blind people in the Midlands, an amazing experience and great fun."
Baxter was appointed the official Town Crier of Llandudno, North Wales by Llandudno Town Council in 2014.[5][6]
References edit
- ^ "Blindness is no barrier for Billy the Whizz". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016.
- ^ Blind and Disabled biker sets new motorcycle speed record
- ^ "Celebrity Laps" (Press release). Top Gear. Archived from the original on 6 April 2007. Retrieved 16 April 2007.
- ^ "Blind British Soldier Billy Baxter Rides Donington". Archived from the original on 23 April 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2009.
- ^ "Cyngor Tref Llandudno Town Council".
- ^ "Welsh Lives: Meet the UK's only blind town crier with an impressive world record". ITV News. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
External links edit
- Blind Veterans UK – Blind ex-service men and women
- Action For Blind People – An audio self-discussion with Baxter.
- Action For Blind People Archived 6 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- Vista