During the filming of a series of TV shows for the Nautical Channel we met a severely disabled schoolgirl who, against all the odds, has learned to sail a boat using her mouth.
Just days before the show began disabled sailing teen, Natasha Lambert successfully completed her phenomenal Sea and Summit Challenge – a 440m singlehanded sail around England’s South West coast to Wales followed by a climb of Pen Y Fan, the highest peak in Southern Britain.
This 21ft yacht was specially-designed to allow Natasha, who has severe cerebral palsy, to sail using only her mouth. Operating a ‘sip and puff’ mechanism’, blowing down the tube to control the direction of the boat, Natasha was able to successfully complete the sailing half of this month long voyage.
While interviewing her and her parents for the TV show we found a plucky little 17 year old who is determined not to let her condition stop her doing what she wants to
Her accomplishments serve as inspiration for anyone to see what can be achieved in this sport.
