Your story Clipper for CRY by Jennifer Hill My name is Jennifer Hill, I’m 32 and writing this article on my return from Australia. Holidays in Australia may conjure up images of sun, sand, surf, sightseeing and sipping cocktails but for me there was endless sea salt, giant ocean swell, soggy clothes, battling storms in the Southern Ocean, relentless sail hoisting and constant sleep deprivation! It may not sound as enticing, but for me it was the trip of a lifetime…I was participating in the Clipper Round the World 13-14 yacht race! The Clipper challenge involves twelve 70ft yachts racing around the world. The yachts are skippered by professionals but sailed by novices, who can sign up for the full circumnavigation or for individual ‘legs’. I went out to Australia to compete in Leg 4 – to sail from Albany to Brisbane. You’re probably wondering why I chose to do this?
point, on a whim, I applied to Clipper. I knew of the race and I had dreamt about applying someday, but I don’t think I had seriously considered it before. Spontaneously, there I was, applying, out to prove to myself that my LQTS didn’t have to stop me doing things.
Well, in 2011 I was diagnosed with long QT syndrome (LQTS). It was a shock, a scare and I struggled to accept it. I know I am incredibly lucky to have discovered my condition, but the diagnosis, the surgery and the adjustments put my life on hold and that left me feeling like an alien in my own skin. I didn’t feel so lucky and I suffered with depression for some time. At a low
I needed to draw a line under what had been a difficult few years and I needed to immerse myself in a new challenge. I had lost myself and I was striving to be who I was ‘before’. I needed to find the ‘new’ me, meet people who didn’t know about my condition and who would embrace that ‘me’. Most importantly though, I needed to fall in love with the new ‘me’. The Clipper race was my lifeline and to say it was incredible is an understatement. It wasn’t ‘plain sailing’ though… Initially my application was accepted. However, there was concern about the prospect of me being in such a physically demanding environment and without quick access to medical attention. My insurance was subsequently declined but I wasn’t going to give up. I persevered for 5 months to gather input from numerous cardiac consultants, prepare for every eventuality and to educate all those I needed to. It was ‘touch and go’ for a while, but just days before my first training commitment I got a ‘yes’ from the insurance company - I’m proud that
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Spring 2014