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A group of people with Multiple Sclerosis will be taking to the water on the Spirit of New Zealand for a coastal voyage under sail around the upper half of the North Island, a first for Down Under.
On board will be Ingrid Robertson, of Christchurch, who has been co-ordinating the adventure on behalf of the international organisation Oceans of Hope Challenge.
Diagnosed with MS in 1999, the 51-year-old briefly joined an Oceans of Hope circumnavigation challenge when it called in at Auckland in 2015.
“Only two hours on the boat but it was so amazing," she said. "I immediately loved the feeling of being on the water.”
Hooked, she kept an eye out for the next challenge, which came in 2017 with a seven-day voyage around the Croatian coast. She had heard from the organiser Englishman Robert Munns that there were going to be a couple of Australians on board “so I felt I should keep the antipodean side up”.
After a marvellous experience, Robertson decided it was time for a Down Under sailing challenge for people with MS.
On the Spirit of New Zealand, 40 people with the condition will do a five-day voyage along the Coromandel coast from Auckland to Tauranga starting on November 8. There is a mix of nationalities, from Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Denmark, the US, men and women of a variety of ages. What they all have in common is MS.
Robertson, who worked in the security industry for 24 years before changing tack and studying business administration, certainly likes a challenge, having bungy jumped and sky dived in the last five years. She cites gym sessions at Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Canterbury and support from the society’s physios and nurses for helping her maintain fitness.
“I think you can get used to things and accepting of what you think you can’t do," she said. "I found that the group on board the Croatia trip were just inspirational. You can prove something to yourself which gives you confidence about what you can do. You might be surprised with the result.”
No sailing experience is required and even people in wheelchairs can get on board, wearing kneepads so they can get around on hands and knees. Robertson herself relies on a stick and, at times, a walking frame.
“One of the best things about being on the boat with others with a similar disability is that you don’t feel different. Everybody helps everyone else and it’s not seen as unusual if, for example, you have to take yourself off for a rest in the afternoon. Everyone has the same issues with balance. It’s all just accepted. You’re just one of the group, just normal. The whole experience is exhilarating and liberating.”
People with disability up to level 6 on the expanded disability status (EDS) scale can be accepted for the voyage. EDS is a method of quantifying disability in MS and monitoring changes in the level of disability over time. It is widely used in the assessment of people with MS, which affects about one in 1000 New Zealanders.
MS is a disorder of the central nervous system. There is no known cause and, as yet, no known cure.
There is one person on the waiting list for the Coromandel voyage but Robertson says they would like more, since people’s health and abilities can change in the lead up to the departure date.
The Oceans of Hope Challenge is part of the Sailing Sclerosis Foundation, founded by Danish doctor and sailor Mikkel Anthonisen. Visit www.oceansofhope.co.uk
For more information contact Deb Parker, MS and Parkinson’s Society of Canterbury, on 366 2857 extn 9 or 021 477359.
