On August 31, Sam Pedder completed the Brighton Triathlon — a 1.5 km swim, 40 km cycle, and 10 km run — in support of the Visual Snow Initiative (VSI).
Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) is a neurological condition that can affect vision, hearing, cognition, and sensory processing, often making daily life more challenging for those who experience it. Sam took on this challenge to raise awareness and funds for VSI after his family’s own experience with VSS.
“My 11-year-old son has Visual Snow Syndrome, a condition that has had a serious impact on his quality of life — and as a result, on our family’s as well. When we received the diagnosis, our consultant directed us to the VSI website. Everything we currently know about the condition has come from there, and we’re incredibly grateful for the organisation’s work.”
Sam trained for months to prepare for his first triathlon, motivated by his son and the mission to support VSI’s ongoing efforts in research, education, and awareness.
“I wanted to do something meaningful to help VSI continue its efforts in research, raising awareness, and educating people about the syndrome. It was a big challenge — especially the one-mile sea swim — but knowing why I was doing it kept me going.”
Through his campaign, Sam has raised £340 so far and hopes to reach a total of £500. His efforts are helping to increase awareness and support VSI’s global mission to advance research and understanding of this often misunderstood condition.
At VSI, we are deeply grateful to Sam and everyone who supported his fundraising efforts. His dedication is an inspiring example of how personal stories can create greater understanding and momentum for change.
