Blog: “I love the water and spend every opportunity I can sailing”
Activity Alliance features a blog post every Friday on the experiences of disabled people involved in sport and exercise at all levels, finding out what impact being active has on their lives. Today, Julia explains how taking up sailing pushed her beyond her comfort zone and boosted her confidence.
My name is Julia Winter, I’m 53 and live in Essex. I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and have been a wheelchair user since 1994.
Before becoming disabled I never participated in any sport and was very inactive. I am now a dinghy sailor. I love the water and spend every opportunity I can sailing. I enjoy racing and recently took part in Challenger Class Association UK National Championships and came away with a silver cup.
My first experience of sailing was back in 2009 during a mini break at the Calvert Trust in Devon. I spent an afternoon learning to sail an access dinghy. I had a mini race with other visitors and I managed to win! That was it! I was hooked and vowed to learn to sail properly.
This dream had to go on hold for few years due to work commitments, then two years ago I found Grafham Water Sailability. I’m not sure what it was about the club that drew me in, but at the time I was feeling pretty low, having been made redundant the year before and struggling to find work. My self-confidence was rock bottom. The club volunteers made me feel really welcome and encouraged me to learn how to sail a Challenger dinghy, initially with the help of my buddy John. In May 2017, I was passed by the senior Instructor as competent to sail solo and off I went.
This gave my confidence a real boost and I enjoyed my first taste of racing in June 2017, when I sailed with my buddy John in a Regatta. We were the fastest buddied Grafham Boat and won the coveted Judi Figgures cup at the English Nationals. This was a very proud moment for me (Julia pictured below with the Judi Figgures Cup).
In August 2017, I was encouraged to enter the Sailability Multi Class Regatta as a solo sailor. I felt scared at the prospect of doing this as I had only being sailing solo for a few months, but I decided to give it a try. As it was a last minute decision my carer was not able to come with me and stay overnight at the accommodation. This meant that I had to rely on my teammates to support me with things I couldn’t manage for myself. I was a bit scared, but decided to face my fears and do it anyway!
The whole experience was amazing, I challenged myself on many levels and got a massive buzz from racing. I even managed to finish in the top ten in a few races. I learnt that it is ok to ask for help, and that people very rarely say no. I also learnt that exercise doesn’t have to be boring, my body gets a real workout sailing a Challenger dinghy and the excitement of racing gets my heart going really fast!
Sailing has impacted on many areas of my life. I feel a lot fitter, for example when I first started I found transferring into the boat difficult and now I can do it easily. My posture has improved too and I can now sit more upright without support. My confidence has grown too and I am now working as a volunteer in a school and have recently been elected as a Trustee of Grafham Water Sailability.
I am planning to compete in three regattas this year and hope to improve my standings from last year.
I hope my story is proof that no matter how old or unfit, anyone can take up a sport and exercising can be fun!
