A SUCCESSFUL Paralympian came to town to support an initiative which will help military personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Hannah Stodel, who grew up in West Mersea and has competed at the Paralympic games, teamed up with Simon Collyer, who founded the Sailing Wellness initiative.
Mr Collyer, of Avignon Close, Colchester, is seeking to tackle the issues of PTSD, as well as stress, anxiety and depression, and promoted his idea by sailing radio-controlled model yachts at Colchester Leisure World.
Getting disabled people into sailing is part of the initiative, and he is planning on acquiring resources for them to enjoy high-standard boats Ms Stodel, 35, was born without a forearm and with three kidneys, and competes in top ocean racing events as a professional sailor and has joined Mr Collyer in his efforts.
Having been a sailor himself, Mr Collyer wanted to do more to assist people who are struggling, being fully aware of the mental health benefits reaped by those out on the water.
Realising military personnel could benefit from the sheer joy of setting sail, he set out to create what turned into Sailing Wellness in a bid to making learning to sail accessible.
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“We are not simply planning to set up a sailing school,” he said, “but by teaching participants to sail, this breaks the cycle of rumination where people keep going over and over their past. Dinghy sailing needs a lot of application and concentration.
“We can help introduce people into the sailing community and the plan is they can go on to learn new skills as there are more than 80 Royal Yachting Association courses.
“Army personnel make excellent instructors and learning sailing skills can open many doors.
“Above all else, it gets personnel out of their house and gets them mixing again with their peer group and having a laugh, which is sometimes the best medicine.”
To help tailor his project to perfectly suit the needs of its consumers, Mr Collyer has received guidance and ideas from the Army Personnel Recovery Centre, at Chavasse House, Berechurch Road.
He has now assembled an all-star line-up of top mental health experts and sailors alike to ensure the service is of the highest standard.
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