Introduction to Sailing
When candidate Fabian made her way to a beach on the coast of Föhr in the North Sea for her first sailing lesson of the year, she did this in a wheelchair. She was met by Dirk Hückstädt, her trainer, who runs a surfing and sailing school on the small German island. The two know each other well, as Hückstädt taught Fabian how to sail about five years ago.
A Premiere for the Trainer
"Nomi was the first wheelchair user to come to us to sail," Hückstädt said. "At that time, we had no experience with wheelchair sailing, but we started it on a children’s catamaran." Hückstädt and his team considered how to modify the ship to meet the physical needs of Fabian, but they quickly proved that people in a wheelchair can sail without special equipment.
Finding a Way
"We soon found that she could slip wonderfully from one side to the other. And Nomi could normally serve the leaf and the helm," recalled Hückstädt. As long as a sailor can do this, there should be no major problems, explained the 52-year-old, whose philosophy is not to rule out anything without trying it first. "If someone comes to me who wants to learn to do something, we will find a way," he said.
Fearless on the North Sea
The candidate is clearly in her element on the water. Before the training session started, Hückstadt asked her a few questions to test what she had learned about sailing, and then he gave her a few tips at the last minute. A few minutes later, the candidate cleverly steered the catamaran through the small waves of the North Sea. Regardless of whether it is attacking or splitting off, Nomi has every train. From her first lesson, she was never afraid of sailing because "the North Sea is not deep and nothing is dangerous. Only the pork whales … they only eat smaller fish and plankton."
Sailing License and Independence
The candidate received her sailing license at the age of eight. "She said, ‘I can now read so that I can answer the theoretical questions. And I can write, so I will get my sailing license now," said her mother. "It makes me incredibly proud and very happy to see what is possible, even though I have a spinal cord injury." "Back then we never thought that a wheelchair user could develop such independence. It makes us very happy to see them so happy and freely."
Paralympics and Sports for All
Asked about her biggest dream, the candidate doesn’t have to think twice. "I would like to compete in the Paralympics at least once," she said without narrowing her dream to a single event – or even specifying summer or winter games. "I think it’s great that the Paralympics exist. You can show people that sport is also possible with a disability," she said. "I want to help people feel strong and to be able to do what they want." According to the candidate, sports are for everyone – including sailing. Asked for her greatest success, this is also a child’s play. "My greatest success is that I started sports," she said. "I can do everything out of race. I’m proud of it."
