SAILING IN HOPE

I’m John, and I’ve been navigating the turbulent waters of life with ulcerative colitis—along with a few other health challenges—since childhood.

As a kid, sailing a little dinghy, I knew there was only one thing I wanted to achieve: a solo, non-stop sail around the world. But at 16, when I was diagnosed, what should have been a path toward that dream was slowly replaced by hospital visits, medication, and learning how to live around an unpredictable illness.

Years later, I found myself sitting in a clinic waiting room, I saw a scared teenager about to receive the same news I once did. I wanted to say something to help—anything. But I didn’t.

I regret it.

That regret lit the fuse.

I realised I had two choices:

• Grieve for the life I thought I would have.
• Do whatever I can to make my dream a reality.

Sailing in Hope is about taking back control. About sharing the unfiltered reality of living with chronic illness, supporting one another, and proving that we are more than the limitations placed on us.

I may not yet be an experienced solo sailor, but I know the challenges ahead all too well: fear, isolation, and exhaustion. I’ve lived with them for years. And if facing them again—this time at sea—helps even one person feel less alone, then it’s worth trying.

This is my story.