A former Royal Marine who was born and grew up in the South Hams is set to become the first severely visually impaired man to row the Pacific.

Steve Sparkes, 56, is raising money for Blind Veterans UK and hopes to inspire other people facing challenging life circumstances through his determination and courage.

Steve attended South Brent Primary School and played football for the village team. He went on to King Edward VI Community College in Totnes before joining the Royal Marines at the age of 18.

Steve fought in the Falklands War with 42 Commando Royal Marines as a member of K company. He served with distinction, carrying a colleague to safety who had stepped on a landmine at the base of Mount Harriet.

In 1984, he took part in the selection process for the Special Boat Service. It was then that his life took an unexpected turn. A problem with the rebreather set during the diving phase of the selection process damaged his eyesight and, ultimately, triggered a rare form of macular degeneration called Stargardt disease.

His sight slowly began to deteriorate and he was discharged from the Royal Marines on medical grounds. Steve faced an uncertain future. Over time, he lost virtually all of his sight, with only a small amount of peripheral vision.

He explained: “I was full of rage after I left the Marines. When I joined the Armed Forces, I was ambitious. I had just passed the Junior Command course and wanted to join the Special Boat Service. After the accident, I tried to hide the problems I was having with my eyesight as I didn’t want to be sent to be a chef or a clerk. Eventually, though, I couldn’t hide it any more. I was not treated particularly well and it took a long time before people appreciated the extent of the problems I was having and I was given a diagnosis.”

After being medically discharged from the Royal Marines, Steve left the UK and went to sell timeshare in Tenerife. His life took a complete downturn. There was very little support available for injured veterans at this time and he describes himself as being “full of rage, angry at the way I had been treated.” Later, he moved to Malta where he continued to sell timeshare, working his way up to the position of sales manager.

It was here that Steve had a chance encounter with a woman in her 70s called Mrs Bloomer who worked with the Armed Forces Charity, SSAFFA. The woman told Steve about another charity called St Dunstans, now know as Blind Veterans UK, which supports Armed Forces personnel and ex personnel who have severe sight loss. She put the charity in touch with Steve, which proved to be a turning point.

They flew Steve back to the UK where he was offered support and training to help him to deal with his condition. It made a huge difference and in the intervening years he has become an ambassador for the charity, working tirelessly to help other veterans to come to terms with their sight loss.

He said: “If it hadn’t been for the help I received from Blind Veterans UK, I honestly don’t think I would be here talking to you today.”

Now, he is preparing to take on the challenge of a lifetime in recognition of the support that he received during one of the darkest periods of his life. He will be taking up the oars and rowing one of the toughest and most dangerous seas in the world as part of The Great Pacific Race.

The opportunity to take part in the race came about following a casual conversation in the pub. Steve, who is a familiar figure around South Brent and likes to drink in The Packhorse and Royal Oak, met up with Mick Dawson, a former Plymouth-based Royal Marine and fellow Falklands veteran.

Mick is an experienced ocean rower who has rowed across the Atlantic twice and is in the Guinness Book of Records as the first and only rower to cross the North Pacific from Japan to San Francisco. The pair had some shared history as Steve served in the same troop as Mick’s brother, Steve Dawson.

The pair will row from Monterey in California to Hawaii, competing against other teams from around the world. The direct route totals 2,400 miles however with weather conditions and changing currents, they could find themselves rowing closer to 3,000 miles. They will be at sea for between 50 and 90 days in a 6ft x 21.5ft boat.

Steve and Mick will take it in turns to row the boat, two hours on, two hours off with rests in between. They are endeavouring to prepare for every possible eventuality, including being swept overboard, the boat capsizing, being hit by a freak bow wave, being hit by another vessel or an object and so on.

“We are trying to devise contingency drills as we would have done in the Royal Marines so we know what to do if things go wrong. Currently, we are discussing whether it is best for me to be tied to the boat or not,” explained Steve. “If I am swept overboard, it could help me to find my way back onto the boat, however if the boat capsizes on top of me it could kill me.”

The pair will be completing the challenge on board Bojangles, a carbon fibre ocean rowing boat that Mick used to cross the Pacific ocean during his world record-breaking attempt. Steve and Mick will be completely unaided so will need to carry all of their food, supplies and equipment for turning seawater into fresh drinking water.

They will embark on their epic trip on June, 2 from Monterey in California. In the meantime, they are engaged in fitness training and sea safety training. They are actively seeking businesses or individuals who might be willing to sponsor them via their website www.cockleshell-pacific.com, or Crowdfunding page www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/cockleshell-pacific

Steve concluded: “My friends and my daughter think I’m a bit crazy but for me this is a great chance to repay the people who have helped and supported me and to show that you can overcome even the toughest challenges.”