Escape to the Country buyer details 'mind-blowing' Paralympic success after diagnosis

During the most recent instalment of Escape to the Country, BBC audiences witnessed presenter Jules Hudson charged with locating Steve and Caroline's perfect home in the Cumbrian countryside - despite their initial intentions to relocate to Scotland.

On the show, which previously saw one buyer moved to tears, the pair outlined their wishlist for their dream residence.

Armed with a £425k budget, they sought a standalone character property featuring a small garden, space for external storage and it needed to have two bedrooms.

Nevertheless, prior to commencing their hunt, BBC viewers discovered that Steve was a dual Paralympic cycling champion, boasting four world para cycling crowns.

Throughout the segment, it emerged that he had received a devastating diagnosis in 2011, indicating he would ultimately lose his vision entirely, reports the Daily Record.

He remarked: "So, my visual impairment is called retinitis pigmentosa, which is, I think, a fancy name for basically tunnel vision. I don't have any peripheral vision anymore, and eventually I will lose my sight completely.

"There's no cure for that at the moment, so I'm pretty fortunate that I'm still able to ride a bike on my own and do a lot of things without aids or a walking cane. But, I realise those days may not last too much longer."

Jules revealed that within six months, Steve would hang up his cycling shoes permanently and return to his profession as a carpenter to craft furniture. Throughout the programme, Jules chatted with Caroline and Steve regarding his diagnosis and how he's succeeded in transforming his obstacles into possibilities.

When enquiring about how becoming an Olympic competitor occurred, Steve remarked: "The diagnosis of my eyesight created a very, very tiny opportunity to race for the para squad for the Great British Cycling team and further down my career into Paralympics GB.

"It's amazing, it's hard to believe what we've achieved, really, it's yeah, kind of mind-blowing."

Speaking with Caroline, Jules emphasised that she's stood by Steve during his entire journey, as she revealed they had initially intended to relocate to Scotland prior to his diagnosis.

She remarked: "They said he might go blind in four years. So, it took us a little while to adjust to that but then after that a couple of opportunities or potential opportunities came up.

"We very much believe in seizing, you never know where life's going to take you but if something comes up, go and give it a go. Then Rio happened, then Tokyo happened and Paris happened!"

Ultimately, their house hunt proved successful as Jules revealed to audiences at the end of the show that they had submitted an offer on the initial property they viewed in Levens, which was subsequently accepted.

Escape to the Country is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.