Contact lenses for sport  which correct short-sightedness but are only worn while sleeping have helped GB international Adam Burgess win the single kayak gold medal at the recent World Under-23 Canoeing Championships held in Brazil. Adam had previously struggled with conventional daytime contact lenses which are not suitable for athletes who compete in water sports given the propensity for the lenses to fall out during the white water descent. This made it difficult for Adam to judge the line to follow when targeting the multiple gates which make up the standard slalom course and any missed gates or contact with a gate results in a penalty.

Three years ago, he began wearing overnight contact lenses for sport  supplied by iGO Optical and literally could see the difference immediately. The lenses are removed each morning and wearers like Adam enjoy perfect daytime vision all day long until they are reinserted at night. Only laser surgery can match this outcome but many people are understandably nervous about the risks and high costs involved with laser treatments. Overnight lenses work by using the long-established optical science of orthokeratology - known as ‘orthok' for short. The lenses offer a brilliant solution to athletes who are short-sighted and also provide a great treatment option to people who wish they did not have to wear glasses or daytime contact lenses.

Orthok contact lenses for sport  are custom-designed for each patient and work during sleep by gently flattening the surface of the eyes using the mild pressure of closed eyelids. This ensures that light entering the eyes focuses directly on the retina and not in front of it which is why distant objects look blurred to short-sighted people. They are now available in the UK and you can see what a difference they make by checking out how Adam Burgess won his World Championship gold medal here . For anyone aged from 6 years to 60 years who is struggling with short-sightedness, orthok lenses can change their lives.