Grassroots Games 2016: Sailing
The Paralympics is under way in Brazil, and the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) is focusing on the sports that you will see, hear or read about over the next two weeks.
With 22 different disciplines on show in Rio 2016, EFDS takes a look at grassroots participation back here in Britain.
Today it’s Sailing, with Tilly Griffiths telling us about making friends and leaving her powerchair.
The sense of freedom when I'm out of my wheelchair and sailing my own boat is so uplifting.
There is no other sport that I have come across that truly offers the same equality of opportunity, challenge and fun as sailing.
I love having the opportunity to leave my powerchair.
I have a different seating position and a different way of moving. And it is so good for my posture – I have to work really hard to maintain myself upright and keep my head up too.
I really love that I get to meet loads of different people of all ages and all abilities.
I have a whole sailing family. It is great to be able to hang out with people that really understand things about my life and its various challenges and brilliant to share the joy of sailing with them as they too know how magic it really is.
Sailing makes me feel so special.
I'm the only person in my school using a wheelchair, but I'm the only one who sails solo. I absolutely love it when my friends come to the lake and they see me doing something that they can't. I so enjoy taking them out and helping them for a change as they normally help me.
Sailing is a precious gift that can't be taken away from me.
I love the fact that I can take my sailing forward and develop and improve wherever I am in the world.
