By Daniel Stephenson
October 8 2019, 11.45
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A Kingston motivational speaker and para-athlete for Team GB has become the first disabled contestant to appear on the BBC’s The Apprentice.
Souleyman Bah, 20, appeared in the first episode of the new series, which aired last week and made it through to the next round of tasks.
He suffers from a condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa, meaning he can’t see out of his right eye and has tunnel vision in his left.
Retina UK communications manager Jane Russell said: “We are really excited that Souleyman is appearing in The Apprentice and wish him every success.
“Living with an inherited progressive sight-loss condition like Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) can be challenging, but we are confident he has the drive and determination to succeed.
“The impact of sight loss is often misunderstood.
“Souleyman’s appearance on the show will help dispel some myths and demonstrate ability rather than disability within the sight loss community.”
Souleyman’s biggest sporting decoration so far is the 100m gold medal he won at the Paralympic School Games, which were held in Natal, Brazil in November 2015. He has now set his sights on running the 200m and 100m races in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020.
Retina UK provides information and support to people affected by inherited progressive sight loss and invests in medical research.
A number of other charities and organisations such as, Royal Society for Blind Children (RSBC), Moorfields Eye Charity, Royal National Institute of Blind People, Why-Can’t-We and Insight have also been championing and showing public support for Souleyman.
Retinitis Pigmentosa is the name given to a group of conditions, caused by a fault in the gene passed down to the retina cells, which can cause varying degrees of sight loss.
People with RP generally have difficulty seeing in poor light and have limited peripheral vision.
Souleyman is not only a motivational speaker, a budding athlete and an Apprentice contestant, but also made RSBC’s first youth ambassador in September.
