What are your hopes for Rebekah’s future?
I think my longer-term hopes for Rebekah’s future are largely unchanged. I hope she continues to develop her “life skills” to the best of her potential, acknowledging that defining the extent of that potential is still challenging.
One key part of Rebekah achieving her potential is the care, support and encouragement she receives from her support team at Rehability UK. I can only hope that they, and the thousands like them, get better support from local and national government in delivering their essential services. In the short-term I hope it will be not too much longer before we can see each other again face-to-face.
Your Clipper challenge has been put on hold because of the pandemic. What is the next leg and what are you most looking forward to?
A great deal now depends on vaccinations programmes and travel restrictions/rules world-wide and not just what happens in the UK. There are over 40 countries represented in the crews that make up the Fleet and 14 different nationalities in my “own” crew in team UNICEF.
The race from the Philippines is now starting in February 2022. My own involvement will be in Leg 6 from the Philippines to three ports in China and then across the North Pacific to Seattle, USA. This will take a few weeks.
I will also race on the final leg, Leg 8, from Bermuda across the North Atlantic to a north European port (yet to be announced) and finally into London. One way or the other it will have been a long race!
What are your thoughts on the Second Sea Lord, Vice Admiral Nick Hine’s announcement that he is autistic?
Firstly, I admire his courage in speaking out. To those whom I have heard question why he has only chosen to speak out now I would say, “would you rather he had not spoken out at all?” I have a number of adult friends and colleagues, including two Clipper race sailing friends, who have chosen to speak out or have been diagnosed in later life. I am also now a governor at a local special needs school with young adults about to leave the school environment.
A couple of years ago I was fortunate to listen to a talk entitled “My right to be who I am and who I want to be,” by Adrian Edwards, talking about the challenges he faced as an undiagnosed adult and how this led him to his own assessment of autism. I think the willingness of anyone to speak out and share their thoughts and concerns can only be beneficial in wider education, greater understanding and in lifting some of the stigmas still associated with autism. If Nick Hine speaking out now inspires just one person to reach their true potential, then I take my hat off to him.
We wish Keith the best of luck and a safe journey as he sets sail on the Clipper challenge!
