Sailing for the Disabled

"Sailing Without Barriers"

Kunice (Poland), 16.07.2017

Lakes, pools, the sea, and all open waters have always been places of relaxation and perfect leisure for me. Since the unfortunate diving accident, my opportunities in this regard have been significantly limited. The first time I swam in a pool was 19 years after breaking my spine at a Foundation for Active Rehabilitation workshop. It brought me such joy that I decided to take advantage of every opportunity to enjoy the charms of water.

"Sailing Without Barriers" is an annual event organized in Kunice at the "Poseidon" marina by the Association of Disabled People and Friends "Hope" from Legnica. I have a few acquaintances in this organization and I let them know that I would love to actively participate in this event. I had some concerns about whether my considerable weight would be an issue when transferring me onto the sailboat, but I was quickly informed that there would be many tall and strong men willing to help.

I arrived at the venue in my electric wheelchair, which caused a slight sensation. For me, covering a distance of 12 km is not a great feat, but many disabled people are not familiar with the capabilities of modern electric vehicles.

After a small snack, when it was my turn, I wheeled onto the dock where a class Omega boat was waiting along with experienced sailors. The transfer onto the boat went quite smoothly, but sitting down required constant holding by a newly met friend. Without this assistance, I kept sliding into a lying position due to the plastic and slippery floor of the sailboat.

Once the other people were seated, we set off on a cruise on the picturesque Kunice Lake. We sailed towards an island, where the wind completely died down. Because of this, instead of the planned 20 minutes on the water, I spent almost 50 minutes on the boat. I could have stayed there all day, but there were others waiting for their turn. After docking, the transfer back to my wheelchair went fairly smoothly, and my adventure came to an end.

It was wonderful to sway on the water and remember the old, good times when I often spent every free moment by the water. With the help of several people, I spent an interesting day in very pleasant company. It was nice to meet new people who genuinely enjoy helping others. Thanks to them, I felt a little less aware of my disability. I also feel satisfied that I took advantage of the opportunity presented by the knowledge of this event's organization. In the past, it would have been very difficult for me to participate in this event for such a silly reason as needing help from strangers. Now, I no longer have that problem, and I am ready for the next realizations of my dreams.

Below are photos and a report from the Legnica television station Dami about this enjoyable event, "Sailing Without Barriers."

Sailing on Resko Przymorskie

Dźwiżyno (Poland), 23.06.2021

For the second time, I had the opportunity to sail while attending a camp organized by the Foundation for Active Rehabilitation in Kołobrzeg. At the end of the stay, all participants and staff went to Dźwiżyno on the Resko Przymorskie lake to try their hand at sailing. Some disabled individuals set off from Kołobrzeg in their electric wheelchairs, effortlessly covering the 15 km distance along calm and picturesque bike paths.

Upon arriving at the Water Sports Station in my electric wheelchair, I was surprised by the modest size of the sailboats. I had slight concerns about whether such small boats would capsize with a stronger gust of wind, but it later proved to be unfounded.

After being lifted onto the sailboat, I was surprised to learn that I was being towed along with another sailboat by a motorized pontoon. I soon found out that this was necessary because the lake we were sailing on is very shallow, and it is not possible to sail from the Water Sports Station itself.

After reaching the middle of the lake and being untethered from the pontoon, the helmsman unfurled the sails, and that's when I could feel the true pleasure of sailing. Even though it was quite chilly and not very windy, the several minutes spent on the sailboat provided me and other disabled individuals with great fun. Everyone returned from the cruise cold but happy to have experienced the adventure of sailing. I was also pleased to have had the opportunity to sail on such a tiny boat and on such a different lake compared to the water bodies in my area.