Quadriplegic Woman Sails English Channel

[unblock]

i am simply in awe!

:applause:


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050824/ap_on_re_eu/britain_disabled_sailor

LONDON - A British woman on Tuesday became the first quadriplegic to sail solo between Britain and France across the English Channel, coast guards said.

Hilary Lister, 33, who is able to move only her head, eyes and mouth, took six hours to navigate her boat, the Malin, unaided through one of the busiest and most treacherous shipping lanes in the world.

"It is very emotional for me. I was absolutely certain that once I got in the boat that I could make it to France. I am too stubborn to give up," Lister told reporters as she quaffed champagne after arriving at the northern French port of Calais.

"I want to get able-bodied people to rethink their views about the disabled," she said, adding that she now wants to sail around Britain's coast.

[Kipling]

1. Nice one.

[underpants]

2. Wow that is great

good for her

[medeak]

3. sucking and blowing through straws

amazing... thanks for this

[flamingyouth]

4. What an amazing story.

Thanks for posting this. :)

[Fenris]

5. That kicks ass!

:applause:

[KamaAina]

6. A group of sailors with disabilities just raced across the Pacific

admittedly, there were no complete quads among them, but B'Quest did enter the Transpac race from Long Beach to Honolulu, finishing fourth out of eight in their division.

http://www.challengedamerica.org/sailing/transpac.html

It took thirteen days to complete the voyage. Once a freighter loomed out of the fog not fifty yards from their forty-foot racing yacht. Another time a sailor standing on deck got whacked in the face by a huge flying fish! And, oh, yes, one of the crew rejected his recent kidney transplant and spent most of the voyage belowdecks...