Pushing the Boat Out: Bex Sailing Challenge

All money will be shared equally between Andrew Cassell Foundation and Oxford Sailability. This fundraiser is for both organisations.

I’m very fortunate to have received support from both Oxford Sailability and the Andrew Cassell Foundation in making many of my sailing dreams become a reality. Oxford Sailability provided me an inclusive environment to get into sailing, giving me the opportunity to take up a sport in an environment supportive of me. Through the support of sailability volunteers, I realised how I could not only enjoy sport, but compete and push myself to achieve more. The Andrew Cassell Foundation has been hugely significant in taking me to the next level, providing coaching and mentoring support allowing me to compete in prominent events such as Cowes week, achieving a podium result in the competitive Sonar fleet.

These organisations are superb in the support they have given and continue to give to me, as well as many others of a range of impairments, ages, genders, backgrounds and experience. However, this does not come cheap. Sailing is an expensive sport, and few see the costs that go into allowing people to get the support and experiences I’ve received. I’d love to give back and allow others to receive the support and opportunities I’ve received and continue to receive.

What I'm planning to do:

I'm going to be pushing my impairments to their extreme ends and training to make this possible. I’m hoping to raise £10,000 that will go into supporting both ACF and Oxford Sailability, by sailing a Challenger trimaran around the Isle of Wight. This will also act as a celebration of achievement of autism in sailing - ACF and sailability both support me to achieve goals I had not thought possible, so to celebrate I’m going to take things to a new level - and sail a very little boat on a very big sea.

For more information about me, my neurodivergence and this challenge, follow me on Instagram @sailingbex.

For more information about Oxford Sailability, please visit www.oxfordsailing.club/on-the-water/sailability-sailing-for-the-disabled and follow social media www.facebook.com/groups/OxfordSailability/ (Oxford Sailability operate under the charity of Accessible Sailing - Charity number 1114130).

For more information on the Andrew Cassell Foundation (ACF) please visit this website www.acfsailing.org and follow social media on @acfsailing (ACF’s Charity number is 1057742).