My Journey
In 2012 my doctor dropped a bombshell on me, I was diagnosed with PTSD and depression.
It explained so much, my anger, my drinking, my highs and my lows. What followed was visits to psychiatrists and prescriptions…..but something was missing.
Late in 2012 a friend, Col Frank Ellis ADF (Retired), suggested I get veterans and their families out sailing, he said it might help me, give me purpose and at the same time help veterans. My yacht club was not interested.
In 2013 I started volunteering at a military charity supporting, mentoring and most importantly listening to veterans. Veterans were participating in programs, considerable funds were being spent and yet there was no measurement of participants that showed how the activities were actually impacting the participants. I was sent on their sailing program as a participant by the CEO, and reported back that it could be done better without the issues that were happening onboard such as excessive drinking and misogyny. Shortly after the program which had been costing $100s of thousands per year for little result was cancelled. I continued volunteering till 2015.
In 2015 through conversations with a cousin of mine in Israel I ended up as an Assistant
Coach to the Israeli Paralympic Sailing team, possibly one of the most life changing events I
have ever been involved with. A disability to these competitors was not a disability, it was just a part of life and they were all stepping beyond that. The senior coach was also involved in a charity in Israel, Etgarim, that used a sailing program to assist people with PTSD get their lives back and had been since 2005. This was what I was searching for. I registered Resilience Sailing Inc. In 2017 I went to Israel and spent several days with the charity, Etgarim (“challenges” in Hebrew). The founder of the program spent time with me,
talking me through why and how he started the program, what they actually did and what the outcomes were. He also stated that we had to measure and keep measuring the participants with university involvement. He also said that they do not allow medical professionals or trauma specialists on the boats as they felt it stymied participants personal
growth. Back in Australia my first challenge was to find a university who was prepared to get involved with a brand new NFP and with a brand new program. After a year University of Southern Queensland agreed to participate and then we started their internal processes.
Last quarter of 2018 we started a pilot program operating in conjunction with the University based at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.
I decided the pilot program could not have more than 20% representation from any one profession and had to be 50/50 male and female. We had the following professions involved:
• Veterans
• Domestic Violence Survivors (not a profession)
• Firefighter
• Nurse
• Policewoman
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
• Civilian
• Agronomist
Participants were tested 3 times during the program.
The University data showed that there had been a significant decrease in the levels of stress and anxiety amongst the participants.
What I call the real data, what actually happened, was that 80% of participants either went back to work or started training for a new career. The women over achieved by comparison to the men due to their ability to just get on with things and work as a team and provide
support to each other.
We have been operating informally until recently when USQ Ethics signed off on a 3 year research program which we are now starting.
We are looking to grow the program around Australia by assisting yacht clubs and others to provide the program in different parts of the country.
Currently we are operating in Brisbane and will soon add Townsville to the list.
To date the program has been funded by my wife and I.
By way of background, I served in 2 military organisations, one being the NZDF. I served as a volunteer firefighter in rural Victoria (CFA), I was the Emergency Coordinator for the area we lived in Canada from 2007 to 2009.
Sailing wise I have represented my country in International events, competed in National
and International events. Sailed for a USA team. And raced in a number of countries around the world.
Back to the beginning……what was missing with all the pysch’s and drugs COMMUNITY! A safe, non judgemental environment where support was available no
explanations needed, no questions asked and people just understood.
Further the psychs and drugs did not help me with self confidence, empowerment, team building, communication, dealing with issues and more.
Resilience Sailing has been providing that to participants and continues to provide it to past participants, who are a part of our growing community.
Resilience Sailing Inc is now a registered charity, has DGR 1 and is registered with the NDIS as a provider.