A blind footballer and TikTok creator has spoken out about the humiliating moment he was kicked out of a gym after being accused of “creepily” staring at a woman — even though he physically couldn’t see her.
Toby Addison, now 23, lost 80 percent of his sight at just 11 years old and has lived with only four percent of his vision ever since. Today, he’s known online as @blindtobes, where he shares his experiences of living with visual impairment to more than 320,000 followers.
But one story from when he was 17 still stands out as one of the most uncomfortable moments of his life — a misunderstanding that, as he put it, really “knocked his confidence”.
Speaking on the Happy Hour podcast, the psychology and counselling student recalled being in the gym, minding his own business, when the incident began. He explained that he had been staring straight ahead, not focused on anything specific, but unfortunately there happened to be a woman exercising in that direction.
“Obviously I don’t really know where I’m looking a lot of the time,” he explained. “I was just staring right ahead and unfortunately there was a woman doing some exercises.”
He didn’t know what exercise she was doing, possibly squats or something that could make someone feel more vulnerable if they thought they were being watched. She initially asked him: “Oh, do you like the view?
“She came over to me, and I didn’t know she was talking to me at first because I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m just doing my thing,” Addison revealed. She then accused him of staring and told him not to be so “creepy”.
He said he didn’t realise she was talking to him at first, as he wasn’t aware of where exactly his gaze had landed and didn’t think he’d done anything wrong.
Trying to defuse the situation, Addison added: “I was like ‘Oh no sorry, I’m blind’. I had my cane with me, it was folded up in my lap but she wasn’t having any of it.”
“I don’t really know where I am looking a lot of the time unless I am talking to someone like I know that I’m talking to you so I am trying to look in your direction,” he said, but sadly, his attempts to defuse the situation failed.
However, the woman didn’t believe him and told him to “shut up” before going to get the gym manager. Addison said the manager then asked him to leave, despite him being a guest of a friend that day.
He described feeling shocked and embarrassed, saying the experience stayed with him for a long time. Thankfully, he now has a good relationship with the staff at his current gym, but the incident left a lasting impression.
On the podcast, Addison reflected that while he understood why some women might be cautious about being watched in the gym, the situation highlighted a wider problem with awareness around disability. He said there’s a culture of people calling out “gym creeps” because of some individuals who have behaved inappropriately, but this can create awkward and unfair situations when misunderstandings happen.
“It’s so sad that some women feel uncomfortable or anxious when in the gym because of a small percentage of people who have acted inappropriately,” Addison said. “It’s also really sad that awareness around disabilities just isn’t good enough at the minute, and when you mix the two together you make situations like I described way more likely to occur.”
He admitted that the incident had really affected his confidence at the time but said it taught him to stand up for himself and raise awareness about what blind people face every day.
Now based in Chichester, England, Addison uses his TikTok platform to share his life as a blind footballer, combining humour and education to challenge misconceptions about disability.
He later addressed the gym incident in one of his TikTok videos, saying he didn’t hold resentment toward the woman, only disappointment that she hadn’t taken a moment to understand his situation. Addison said he understood why she might have wanted to call him out if she felt uncomfortable, but he wished she’d reacted with more empathy.
He also spoke about how sad it is that many women feel anxious in the gym because of a small number of people who behave inappropriately, and how the lack of general awareness around disabilities can make those situations even worse.
What started as a painful misunderstanding has since turned into a powerful story about awareness, empathy, and communication — a reminder that not everything is as it seems, and sometimes all it takes is listening before judging.
Featured image credit: YouTube/Happy Hour Podcast (screenshot)
