At 12 years old, Mark Long was told he’d be blind by 16. Three decades later, he’s a personal trainer, life coach, and advocate - proving how far resilience, humour, and relentless graft can take you.Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa as a child, Mark spent years pushing the limits of denial and defiance - driving, working as a doorman, and living fast to outrun fear. It wasn’t until a crash in 2021 that he finally faced the truth. Since then, he’s rebuilt his life from the ground up: launching a home gym, becoming an advocate for the visually impaired, and training as a life coach under “One Year No Beer” founder Ruari Fairbairns.In this powerful conversation, Mark sits down with Ben to share the reality of losing his sight, rebuilding his confidence, and finding freedom in acceptance. From shame and breakdowns to guide dogs, TV campaigns, and Joe Wicks’ podcast, this is a story about adapting, evolving, and living without limits.🎧 Listen as we discuss…(00:00) The diagnosis: retinitis pigmentosa at age 12(03:00) “You’ll be blind by 16”: how one sentence shaped everything(06:00) Living recklessly to escape fear and the ticking clock(09:00) Ignoring symptoms, denial, and the crash that changed everything(16:00) Shame, identity, and the fear of being seen as vulnerable(20:00) Building a gym from home and using fitness to save his mental health(23:00) Training vs drinking: choosing the hard road to healing(27:00) Marriage breakdown, loneliness, and rediscovering self-worth(31:00) Guide Dogs UK, Mary the lifesaver, and the £100k it takes to train one(36:00) Working with RNIB, TV ads, and Joe Wicks’ Extraordinary People podcast(40:00) New tech: AI apps, smart glasses, and hope for future treatments(45:00) From personal training to purpose: launching Beyond Limits Life Coaching(50:00) Mark’s message: don’t be ashamed, don’t bottle it up, ask for helpKEY TAKEAWAYSRefusal isn’t resilience. True strength starts when you face the thing you’ve been running from.Fitness is therapy. Training became Mark’s lifeline through depression, divorce, and sight loss.Acceptance = freedom. Shame thrives in silence—owning your story takes its power away.Purpose over pity. Blindness didn’t stop Mark; it pushed him to help others live beyond limits.Help exists. From Guide Dogs UK to community connection—ask, reach out, talk.GUESTMark Long - Personal trainer, life coach, and advocate for the visually impaired. Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at 12, Mark now uses his story to inspire others through Beyond Limits Life Coaching and partnerships with RNIB, Guide Dogs UK, and Joe Wicks’ Extraordinary People podcast.Follow Mark on InstagramSupport Guide Dogs UK

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