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During the latest episode of Escape to the Country , BBC viewers saw host Jules Hudson tasked with finding Steve and Caroline their ideal home in the Cumbria countryside - although they had originally planned a move to Scotland. On the programme, which previously left Jules speechless by an unexpected revelation, the duo shared their list of requirements for their dream property. With a budget of £425k, they wanted a detached character property, with a small garden, room for outdoor storage and it needed to have two bedrooms. However, before their search kicked off, BBC viewers learnt that Steve was a double Paralympic cycling champion, with four world para cycling titles. During the video, it was also discovered that he was given a heartbreaking diagnosis in 2011, which means he will eventually go blind. He commented: “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 informed people that in six months, Steve will hand up his cleats for the final time and will go back to his trade as a carpenter to build furniture. During the show, Jules spoke to Caroline and Steve about his diagnosis and how he’s managed to turn his challenges into opportunities. Asking how becoming an Olympic athlete happened, Steve commented: “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.” Turning to Caroline, Jules highlighted that she’s had to support Steve throughout his journey, as she explained they had originally planned to move to Scotland before he was diagnosed. She commented: “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!” In the end, their search was successful as Jules informed viewers at the end of the show that they had put an offer on the first home they saw in Levens. which was accepted. Escape to the Country is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
