15
SAILING
“It’s not about coping with disability; it’s about finding the reserves we all have to achieve our goals in spite of it.” -Geoff Holt Holt
We unfortunately never made it out on Sarah Skeel’s SCUD 18 due to a boat malfunction, but we did get to learn about adaptive sailing from members of the US Sailing Team! We asked Sarah and her team, what they find so attractive about adaptive sailing. Almost unanimously the answer seemed to lie in freedom. Sarah told us she enjoys the freedom of the water and the freedom of getting out of the wheelchair. She said that, “sailing levels the playing field so that people with disabilities can compete against able-bodied teams and be the same or better.” Aside from training for the next Olympics and developing a manual for creating adaptive sailing programs, Sarah’s dream is to create a youth sailing program near Brown’s campus in Indian Point Park. Sailing, teaching, performing community service—Sarah Skeels has shown us not only that people with disabilities can participate in sports, but that all people who are passionate and dedicated can achieve greatness. OOOOOOOO
OUR EXPERIENCE
ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT:
In 1984, a swimming accident left Geoff Holt
paralyzed; yet, his physical disabilities has had
little effect on Geoff’s ability to accomplish
greatness. In 2007, he sailed 1,445 miles alone
around Great Britain in a 15-foot dinghy. Then in
2010, he became the first the first quadriplegic to
sail across the Atlantic single-handedly. Geoff is committed to the sport of sailing as a committee member of the British Paralympic Association and representative of the sailors with disabilities in the UK for the national RYA Council. He is a respected professional athlete who is committed to spreading disability awareness. It is Geoff’s goal to help others, both with and without impairments, reach their full potentials. Currently, Geoff is looking for sponsorships to help him achieve his next goal of becoming the first disabled person to circumnavigate the globe. Geoff Hold is a world renowned quadriplegic sailor, but more importantly an inspirational person with heart and dedication to share with the world.
GEOFF HOLT
PLACES TO SAIL
Piers Park Sailing Center in the Boston Harbor
Sail to Prevail programs in Newport and Nantucket