I love the physical aspects of sailing, I like the social side. I would say give it a go.
It’s exciting. Life can get me down and sometimes it’s really good to have a hobby with people you enjoy being with
As a blind person, Emma has some great advice for that first visit.
Sailing offers Emma something that other sports have been unable to. She is an outdoors person and loves the wind and the sound of the water. Emma gets pure enjoyment out of sailing; its all absorbing. She loves the fact that you have to work it out – the spatial awareness, the angles. It’s a really fulfilling thing to do, particularly if you put the time into learning the skills.
She likes the physical and the social side of sailing.
Along the way, she has been impressed by the great communication skills of the volunteers, and the faith they had in her abilities.
“The volunteers at Northampton Sailability are keen that the people who sail are also involved in the running of the club. There’s real commitment to proper equality, that we are all capable of making good decisions and we are all in it together. As the years have gone by, I have been able to get more involved. The club haven’t forced me. If you just want to just turn up and have fun that is fine, if you want to do more you can.”
Now Emma loves taking people out herself, and helping more people learn to sail.
Emma has also suffered with depression in the past and believes her regular involvement in sailing has helped her through difficult moments.
“Sailing has really helped me to live with my depression. It’s really helped me cope, given me an outlet. Sailing requires a lot of skills and concentration and has made life bearable in many ways.”
