Disabled sailor collects Southern Region RYA Youth Champion Award 

Natasha Lambert, from Cowes, Isle of Wight, was at the RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show on Sunday 01 March to accept a very special award.

The exceptional teenaged sailor was presented with the Southern Region RYA Youth Champion Award by Olympic Medallist Nick Thompson.  

Natasha, who has athertoid cerebral palsy, was selected as a winner by the Southern Region Committee for her amazing achievement in sailing 430 miles from Cowes to Swansea, then climbing, in her specially designed hart walker, the final 2,907ft up the Pen Y Fan mountain in the Brecon Beacons.  She set out from Cowes on 24th July 2014 and finished her challenge nearly a month later on 22nd August.  

Natasha visited the show along with 13 other regional winners at the official awards presentation.  “I had a great day at the show,” she said, “made even more special by being presented the Southern Youth Award by an Olympic superstar ! It was the icing on the cake of an unforgettable day!”  

On the same day Natasha presented a cheque for £5,469.20 to the RYA Foundation, which she raised during her adventure. Her mother said “A massive thank you goes to everyone who so kindly donated and helped Natasha achieve what she set out to achieve and be able to help others.  Natasha would like the funds to be used to help other with disabilities to get on the water.  It would mean a lot to her to see others enjoying sailing thanks to this money.”  To date Natasha has raised over £38,000 for charity.  

Natasha does not have use of her hands and sails her yacht using her mouth to operate a ‘sip and puff’ mechanism that was engineered by her father and is based on a straw mounted inside a cycling helmet.  She undertook the challenge to inspire other youngsters of all abilities to achieve their dreams. 

She told the RYA what an amazing time she had had after all the hard work and practice leading up to challenge.  She hoped other people would see what she does and recognize that they could achieve something like this too.  

The awards which were created just last year recognise the outstanding achievement and performance of young people across the range of activities the RYA, boating’s national governing body, represents, including sailing, windsurfing and powerboating.  

You can find more information on the RYA Regional Youth Champion Awards website.