By Press Release
A group of amputees has spent a weekend in Cowes overcoming their disabilities and learning the basics of sailing.
The ‘would be’ sailors were guests of the Andrew Cassell Foundation (ACF), based at the Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club. Very few of those in the group had any sailing experience but by the second day, had helped to rig a boat and been given the chance to take the helm.
The Foundation’s director, Matt Grier said: “There was amazing camaraderie. We had a mix of ages and gender but everyone had something in common in that they all had a disability and most had lost either one leg or both – in fact we had 20 sailors and 20 legs! No one in the group had met before and it was great to see how barriers were broken down once everyone realised they were all in the ‘same boat’ so to speak! The weather was perfect – warm, a gentle breeze and lots of sunshine.”
The event was held in conjunction with HK Physio Ltd., a specialist organisation dedicated to supporting amputees through physiotherapy, exercise and rehabilitation. Sailing has been just one of the activities provided by the company along with kayaking, mountain biking and any other sport that patients feel they would like to try.
According to Matt, the weekend proved such a success that the Foundation and HK Physio hope to repeat the exercise next year. “Some of the sailors were so exhilarated by the experience, they didn’t want to go home. Being able to offer something like this is unrivalled when it comes to people’s mental health and restoring confidence and self-esteem.”
The sailors all stayed at UKSA, one of the few places able to offer fully accessible accommodation within the town.
