Northampton Sailability’s Emma Dakin, who has been blind since she was a baby, is one of the sailors featured in the Rya ‘Someone Like Me’ series. In this video she explains exactly the ways that sailing can benefit so many different people of all abilities.
Emma Dakin was introduced to sailing at Northampton Sailability. Her blindness was no barrier to accessing sailing, she is now a competent sailor and Disability Awareness instructor and encourages other blind and visually impaired young people and adults to take up sailing.
“I’ve lived with depression for a long time and sometimes it feels like you are swimming through treacle. If it’s very, very bad you can’t go out, but first and foremost I enjoy being at the club, and we are all motivated by doing things we enjoy. If I’m having a bad day I might not even go on the water but just sit with a cup of tea and enjoy the warmth of being around friends at the club. If I do feel like sailing, that helps in a different way because you have to pay attention!”
“With depression it can be very difficult to concentrate and connect with the outside world. But, especially if you are in a capsizable boat, you have to pay attention because although we don’t mind swimming we would rather not! That concentration is good for me. I leave with a sense of achievement and happier.”
Discover more on RYA official site.