Navigating the Challenge: Finding My Place in Para Inclusive Sailing

When I stepped into my role as Para Manager at World Sailing, I was fuelled by passion, optimism, and a deep belief in the power of sailing to transform lives. I had a clear vision: to create opportunities for everyone – regardless of physical ability – to experience the magic and freedom of being on the water.

And for a while, I felt unstoppable.

Creating incredible opportunities for the community like the SailGP One Sport Challenge, enabling truly inclusive racing.

My first year was filled with incredible progress, from launching impactful programs and Inclusive events, to connecting with an inspiring community of sailors. It was everything I had hoped for.

Yet, as time has passed, the landscape has shifted, bringing new challenges and opportunities. It’s not a single issue, but rather a mix of evolving priorities, budget considerations, and changing expectations that have reshaped the path ahead. While these obstacles have tested me, they have also pushed me to think differently and adapt in ways I never anticipated.

162 participants from 34 countries have passed through the 6 IDP’s I’ve managed to run in the last 2 years, a number I am incredibly proud of.

The Inclusive Development Program (IDP) was one of my proudest achievements starting this job, a tangible step toward making sailing more accessible worldwide. But recently, I’ve struggled to keep the programs moving forward, giving them the time to develop, not for lack of effort, but due to financial and logistical roadblocks. It’s frustrating to see something so promising stall, despite the clear need for it.

I am not afraid to get stuff done, and I will never be known for stepping back, whether it is my job or not. Plus – any excuse to strap on a load carrier and 5 VHF’s gets me every time…

One of the biggest personal challenges I face is the tension between what I love doing and what I’m being asked to do. I thrive on hands-on work – being out on the water, engaging directly with sailors, getting down in the mud and ultimately rolling up my sleeves to build something meaningful. But increasingly, I’m told to be ‘more strategic,’ to step back from the grassroots work that fuels my passion. It’s a difficult shift, and I sometimes wonder if I’m losing the very thing that made me love this job in the first place.

The hardest part of this journey hasn’t been the workload or even the lack of resources we all face – it’s the feeling of being pulled away from the community I care about. Sailing, at its core, is about connection. It’s about the people who show up, push boundaries, and make things happen. But in navigating organisational structures, policies, and high-level strategy, I fear I could drift too far from the heart of it all.

Despite these struggles, I still believe in the vision I set for Para inclusive sailing.

I still believe in the strategy we’ve built and the impact we can have.

But I’m also realising that I need to find a way to balance my role within the organisation with my need to stay connected to the people and projects that truly matter to me.

So where does that leave me? I don’t have a clear answer yet, but I do know this – I’m not giving up. I need to take a minute, reassess, and figure out how to move forward in a way that protects both my mental well-being and my passion for the sport. I guess my 24 hour flight next week as I head to the Hansa World Championships will give me plenty of time to think…

Because at the end of the day, sailing isn’t just about strategy and structure – it’s about the people who get stuff done.

And that’s something I never want to lose sight of.