HE could do nothing about the car problems that ended his involvement in his most recent rally, but Andrew Komosa still takes real pride from the fact that he remains the only blind navigator in the country.

It is an extraordinary story. Komosa, now based in Surrey but formerly from Beardwood and a pupil at QEGS, commenced his rally career in 1979.

Seven years later, though, he lost his eyesight because of diabetes. It seemed to be the end of the road in terms of any active involvement in motor sport.

But Komosa was determined to return. After a long battle with the Motor Sport Association, he finally convinced them to restore his navigator’s licence in 2001.

Ten years on, he is still going strong.

In his last event – the recent Hall Trophy, run by Clitheroe Motor Club in Blyton, Lincolnshire – he and Blackburn driver John Gorton were forced to retire after the sixth stage because of differential issues with their Subaru Impreza.

But, at the age of 50, Komosa remains as eager to remain involved as he ever has been.

“I’m maturing like a fine wine,” he joked.

“I’m in better condition than John’s car at the moment!

“I do two or three events a year. I think I am the only person in the country who is doing this and yes I do feel proud about that. It’s nice to spread the word.

“Normally you would have maps that a navigator would see but I have maps made out of special paper where you can feel it.

“My right fingers stays on the next corner and my left finger is on the one 500 yards away so I can plan the route, although it can get tricky when the car bounces in the air!

“But you can feel the car’s movement too, when you know there’s a right and then you feel the car going right, you know what the next corner is then going to be.”

Komosa admits he made an unfortunate start in his first event after having his licence restored, at the Prolex Stages a decade ago, but the battle to return has proved more than worth it.

“My first event was in Leyland and I sent the car the wrong way, so that was a bad start, but I learned quickly,” he said.

“My proudest moment was winning a trophy at the Longcross Stage Rally near Chertsey in Surrey a couple of years ago, I think we were third in class.

“For a long time I knew they wouldn’t give me a licence, I was rejected so many times.

“But the more they said no, the more I wanted to do it, and I had a lot of help.

“I had to go to Slough to apply for the licence and there was a funny story when I was there because there was a man in a wheelchair who was trying to get a racing car licence.

“He said, ‘How can they refuse me one when I have a pilot’s licence?’.

“So he showed them his pilot’s licence and they said, ‘Fair enough then’.”

Komosa’s next event is scheduled to be the Goodwood Stages Rally early next year but his involvement in the sport extends beyond his appearances in the car.

“I am involved in various organisations,” he said.

“I am the chairman of the GT40 Enthusiasts Club and I also have a car that Jacky Ickx raced at Le Mans.

“I don’t consider myself blind. A blind person is someone who reads Braille and listens to the radio.

“That’s just not me.”