September 2008, Lake District England
Virginie Faivre (Continental AE) likes to use her six Volunteer Time Off days all at once. This is her story.
'This year I participated in another activity organized by ‘the Back up trust': a week of sailing in the English Midlands. I have been on a sky trip last year with this foundation that helps people with spinal cord injuries to get involved in activities not normally associated with people in wheelchairs.
I was able to take a full week off to use up my yearly ‘Foundation days' and this project looked to me as the perfect way.
The group (all English and 1 South African) was composed of 2 paraplegic, each had a full time nurse volunteering to help them with daily tasks, and 4 paraplegics. The 4 buddies - the volunteers - were there to give a hand and support the medical staff.
We went to the Lake District in the UK, a spectacular location. The sailing took place on a beautiful (but very cold) lake, nested between lovely green mountains. The setting was fantastic and our group benefited from all the care and attention from a specialised centre close by: the Calvert Trust. All instructors were very enthusiastic, very knowledgeable and welcoming.
Our group was very sociable as well and it's been very easy to fit in even though I did not know anyone before then.
We were staying in an old farm, renovated and fitted to accommodate wheelchair users, the breakfast was cooked by us volunteers and we were provided sandwiches and "tea" (supper in England) in the main centre.
Even though the weather was not on our side, we had a blast, we could sail nearly everyday, practiced capsizing and each of the participants got they sailing certificate at the end of the week. The official ceremony happened of course in the local pub!
During the first days we learnt how to rig a boat and worked in pairs to balance the boats and avoid capsizing. In the evening we practiced rope knots, and spend the rest of the time getting to know each other a bit.Luckily, at the end of the week, the wind was kind enough to let some of the disabled participant to have a go on their own. It was fantastic for them to be independent.
I will forever remember this guy whom right after lunch, in the poring rain, asked me to help him to go on the boat to ride alone... the look on his face when he realized he could do it was priceless and I will never forget it.
I even had a go at wheelchair basketball game. Our version of it was more like a mix of basketball and rugby and I never laughed that much! We where playing wheelies against buddies and the day after, my arms were really sore!
In conclusion I really recommend to anyone to take part in an activity like this. Not only was it rewarding for me and the other participants, but you will also learn a lot about spinal cord injuries get a sailing certificate and have a blast...
When I got back home, knackered but happy, I slept 13 hours straight and was already looking forward to my next experience with backup!!!
