At 16 years of age, Ben Pettingill went to bed with a headache and woke up the next morning blind.

Due to a rare genetic syndrome, Lebers Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, Ben lost 98 per cent of his vision permanently.

On International Day of People with Disability, Ben told Jim Wilson the massive life change was a challenge made easier with help from those around him.

“Another key player in that was … my sporting club, they were absolutely fantastic.

“They straight away come to me and said ‘let’s be honest it’s going to be hard for you to play the same way … but we would love to keep you involved in the club'”.

Ben is now a passionate advocate for inclusive sport and wants sporting clubs to become more accessible for those with a disability.

“It’s not always just about playing.

“We want sporting clubs and schools to be inclusive from every aspect of sport.”

Click PLAY below to listen to the full interview

To learn more about the campaign, click HERE.

Image: Ben Pettingill/Instagram