Quad sailor Andew Hartley's heroic life in a book

by Graeme Adam on 6 Dec 2007 In Melbourne 2004, Andrew Hartley sailed into sporting history by being the first ventilated quadriplegic person to compete in a world championship in any sport anywhere. In the same year, he was named Yachting Australia’s Sailor of the Year with a Disability. This was the culmination of years of relearning his childhood sport of sailing.

A new book, Oceans of Courage, by noted Adelaide author Jill McDougall tells how Andrew was encouraged and enabled to start sailing again not just for pleasure, but to become fiercely competitive. It is an inspirational story written for school students but equally readable by adults of all ages, especially those who love sailing.

This well-illustrated book describes how Andrew was able to sail independently using an electric chin control. It describes the features of the Australian-made Access Liberty dinghy that make the boat user-friendly for sailors of all ages and abilities.

Oceans of Courage tells about Andrew Harley’s heroic life, his love for sailing and the way he courageously faced up to life as a quadriplegic following a pile-up during a local rugby club game in 1982.

After many happy years of sailing with the help of his friends from Sailability South Australia (a volunteer organisation which fosters sailing for persons with a disability), Andrew Hartley died from complications in February 2005 leaving his wife Anne and son Sebastian.

Some people think Andrew’s story is sad. Others say it's amazing and even inspiring. Oceans of Courage tells about Andrew Hartley's life, his love for sailing and the way he faced a terrible tragedy. His story will inspire readers of all ages.

Oceans of Courage is published by respected educational publisher Era Publications and costs $11.95 plus mailing. To order on-line, go to www.erapublications.com.au

Sailability Australia comprises eight state or territory organizations under the umbrella of Sailability Australia. Sailability Australia is represented within Yachting Australia and is part of Sailability World. There are almost 60 Sailability branches or groups, each running regular sailing days. Details of each branch’s sailing activities are available on www.sailability.org