LindseyB

Hilary Lister is the first disabled woman to sail solo around Britain…by using an advanced “sip & puff” system to control the boat!

At the age of 11, Hilary developed a degenerating autoimmune disease that gradually left her a quadriplegic over a long period of time. Now 36, Hilary has overcome bouts of depression and hopelessness and has discovered an outlet for her inner strength.

She credits peer support from the staff at Westbere Sailing that helped her find this strength and saved her life. “They (the staff) treated me like an intelligent, capable person and not like an object to be pitied,” she said. Although it’s hard to do press interivews because of her condition, Hilary wants to bring hope to others with disability: “…I want people to know my story because it’s important they realize disabled people can accomplish anything, given the right tools.”

The video shows Hilary while she is in the midst of her trip, while CNN ran an article on Hilary after she completed the tour.