Hilary Lister

Hilary Lister (born 1972) is a record-breaking quadriplegic sailor from Kent, England. She suffers from the progressive condition reflex sympathetic dystrophy and controls her ship by sucking and blowing tubes for steering and sails.

Lister was able-bodied until the age of 15. She studied biochemistry at Jesus College, Oxford between 1991 and 1995, having lost the use of her legs by then. She started a PhD at the University of Kent in 1996 but her condition deteriorated. She lost the use of her arms in 1999 and was unable to finish her doctorate (but has since been awarded an honorary doctorate by the university). She was introduced to sailing in 2003, which she says gave her life "new meaning and purpose".

On 23 August 2005, Lister was the first quadriplegic to sail solo across the English Channel (in 6 hours and 13 minutes). On 24 July 2007, she became the first female quadriplegic to sail solo around the Isle of Wight (in 11 hours 4 minutes). She won the Sunday Times Helen Rollason Award for Inspiration in 2005. She set off to sail solo around Britain on 16 June 2008. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/7429138.stm Disabled sailor plans solo trip] ] Bad weather and technical problems led to the attempt being suspended on 13 August 2008. [ [http://www.hilarylister.com/CobraManagedFiles/Press_Release_13_August_2008_2.pdf Quadriplegic sailor forced to halt record-breaking attempt] ]

References

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4175786.stm BBC news report of cross-channel sail]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/sep/05/health.healthandwellbeing The Guardian interview]
* [http://www.oxfordtoday.ox.ac.uk/2005-06/v18n2/09.shtml Oxford Today (Oxford University alumni magazine)]
* [http://alumni.jesus.ox.ac.uk/TT2005%20newsletter.pdf (page 7) article by Lister in the Jesus College alumni newsletter]
* [http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/09/20/hilary.lister/ CNN report]
* [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article562277.ece?token=null&offset=0 Sunday Times award / profile]
* [http://www.kent.ac.uk/news/stories/hilarylister/2006] and [http://www.kent.ac.uk/news/stories/medwaycong/2006] Profile / honorary degree awarded by University of Kent
* [http://www.sailing.org/19044.php International Association for Disabled Sailing's report on Lister's Isle of Wight sail]
* [http://www.hilarylister.com Lister's website]