From TED Talks to Brecon High School, professional traveller and entrepreneur Amar Latif inspires students to get out in the world and step out of their comfort zones, ensuring that nothing holds them back.

By the time he was 18, Amar had lost the use of 95 per cent of his vision.

“If I hadn’t lost my sight, I wouldn’t have done half the things I’ve done in my life,” he explained.

“When I lost my sight, there was a moment where I thought everything I’d ever dreamed about would be impossible now. But the reality was it made me more determined because it made me realise the only way I was going to get anything out of life was finding the motivation to get out there and do it.”

Speaking to the students, Amar stressed the importance of making opportunities for himself, especially because he felt like the world was ignoring him. He graduated from university with a degree in mathematics but struggled to find work.

“A big accounting firm said to me that the reason I didn’t get the job was because they believed a blind person couldn’t be an accountant,” he said.

“I couldn’t believe people thought like that. It made me even more determined to show them that I could do it.”

Amar has since gone on to set up his own tourism company, Traveleyes, which takes blind and sighted travellers around the world together, to share the adventure.

But it was a trip to Canada to study that ignited his spark to get out and experience the world.

“I went to Canada with just me and my newly acquired blindness,” he explained.

“I knew inside me that if I wanted to be an independent guy I had to find my own path. It was one of the best years of my life. I learned if you dare to push your limits, your world becomes bigger. Going to Canada gave me the courage to go and trek across the country of Nicaragua.”

It was here that Amar walked from the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua in central America, right across to the Pacific Ocean. He’s since gone on to star in a BBC Two documentary Travelling Blind which saw him partner up with comedian, Sara Pascoe, as they journeyed through Turkey together, demonstrating the dynamics of travelling as a sighted and visually impaired duo.

Most recently he appeared on BBC One’s Pilgrimage: The Road to Istanbul, which saw seven celebrity participants trekking the Sultans Trail.

In 2020, Amar became the first ever blind contestant on the 15th series of BBC’s Celebrity Masterchef, making his way to the semi-finals. He also holds a regular guest presenting spot on BBC’s The One Show, where he explores a broad range of cultural and human interest stories.

Now, he calls himself ‘the blind guy who wants to show you the world’.

Despite travelling across the world, it’s his first time in Brecon.

“First time in Brecon - it’s been so incredible,” he said.

“We stopped at Abergavenny and the people were so kind. We met a couple who drove us from Abergavenny to Brecon. People have been so helpful. I love Brecon.”

He’s planning to bring a Traveleyes experience to Bannau Brycheiniog later this year.

“You don’t have to lose your sight to find the motivation. By having the right positive mindset, you can overcome challenges and hurdles and create something beautiful. If I can help the students become more motivated, and realise there’s more to life, that would be great,” added Amar.