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.
Contact UsArticle Published: March 09, 2015 9:40
Article Updated: March 10, 2015 12:41
Tagged with: Youth News