News Around the World
They came they saw, they gave the tree a good shake and then properly upset the pecking order. Andrea Lacorte is not new to high level big boat racing but few expected him and his Italian crew to be quite so competitive straight out of the box when they joined the TP52 Super Series this year. They dropped their rig during the first hour afloat, during pre-season training, which did little to suggest these newbies would do anything other than follow the usual trajectory, start below the fold and work up from there. Boom! That may have reflected the team’s modest expectations in their first year, but to win races at both their first two regattas… far from usual
people who suffer serious physical trauma leading to permanent disability. Holly, a physiotherapist and keen sailor, is bringing to the island
a squad of 11 remarkable individuals, all with a variety of physical impairments, and she has persuaded Olympian and double Etchells World Champion Stuart Childerley to lead their Sunfast 3200 team in the regatta. Many sailors reading this will know Stuart’s story, which is also
one of remarkable fortitude in the face of adversity. Riding his bike to keep fit back in 2021, Stuart was hit by a car on a country lane, suffering life-changing injuries, and as he says: ‘I came across the Stride Forward charity through my own personal rehabilitation and met Holly King who did one of many reports on me. ‘What struck me was just how determined she was to give those
who have suffered life-changing injuries opportunities to feel valued, heard and be empowered to advocate for themselves whether in work or sport. Sailing is something that I’ve always done, and the chance to sail with a group of incredible people at Cowes Week is very exciting and we will just do our best. ‘I look at the biographies of the people I’m sailing with, and they
are all remarkable, inspiring individuals – one of them, an amputee, is even learning to sail a foiling Moth. And that really is amazing.’ Holly herself is a tour de force, and recognised a niche not just
in sailing but across a wider pantheon of career/life opportunity mentorships that she seeks to give to those with physical impair- ments. Talking to her is inspiring: ‘In the NHS we spend anywhere between £1m to £3m on saving the life of someone who has had a serious life-changing injury. When the intensive medical and rehabilitation care has finished the question is: now what? Often people lose their job, hobbies and the community around this, leading to a loss of purpose and social isolation. ‘Stride Forward is bridging the gap, providing mentoring pro-
grammes to reclaim confidence, independence and purpose in a way that feels accessible and empowering. Whether through sailing, which I personally think is a great sport, or other avenues, Stride
22 SEAHORSE
Forward is here to help people find their new normal and thrive. ‘We’re working with a wide range of individuals who need support
to navigate returning to work, or using their transferable skills in new roles, leaning into new hobbies or interests, also helping with vocational support and financial training. Our mentees currently range from a sheep farmer to a wedding planner, a building maintenance manager, a computer programmer and even an executive in an international finance company. It really doesn’t matter what their backgrounds or interests are, we are here to enable and support them to achieve a joyful and fulfilled life. ‘I have high hopes for Cowes Week that other sailors will see our
crew (we’ll be quite visible at the regatta!) and offer opportunities to also sail as part of mixed teams rather than in teams of disability in separate adapted boats and on separate courses. And in addition, as well as raising awareness for Stride Forward and to help raise vital funds, I am always keen to meet new people from any career who would consider joining our network as a volunteer mentor.’ Stuart Childerley, who is now one of the most in-demand race
officers in the world, as well as being J Class Secretary, echoes Holly’s words: ‘Being involved with Stride Forward opened my eyes to just how many people are out there with limitations. It’s great to be getting involved and doing something that is closer to what we were all doing before our injuries. Sailing offers a great team environment and doing something collectively is very powerful. ‘What we always find is people can achieve so much in spite of
their disabilities, and it’s so important they have the opportunity to go out and prove themselves. I’ve been lucky in a way with my own journey, in having race officering to get back into the sport and build a new career doing what I love; hopefully that’s inspiring to others who suffer a setback in life to show that they can do whatever it is that they want to do post-trauma themselves.’ Holly King is equally ambitious for the Stride Forward team at
Cowes: ‘We really do want the team to do well. We have 11 sailors who we will rotate through the regatta, and we would love to be challenging at the front of the fleet. Hopefully others will recognise
NICO MARTINEZ
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