DAME Ellen MacArthur admits the courage of Chiswick’s Joe Smale proved inspirational as they sailed together at the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round The Island Race.
Smale was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia on three occasions, but after undergoing a bone marrow transplant in 2011 he was able to celebrate two years all clear by joining record-breaking round-the-world sailor MacArthur for the race’s 76th running.
The 15-year-old was one of 25 youngsters from the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust who competed alongside 16,000 other sailors around the 50 nautical mile Isle of Wight course at the weekend.
And afterwards, MacArthur, paid tribute to the Chiswick School pupil's bravery and spirit.
“Joe is an amazing young person,” said MacArthur. “He is the epitome of courage. To go through what he has done and have the smile that he has is just absolutely extraordinary. We just wanted him to have a good time and gain some confidence and enjoyment from it.
“Some come back because they love sailing, some come back because they want to see some of their friends and some want to catch up with people who have been through similar illnesses.
“There is the most incredible bond formed on the boat. These young people have all been through similar experiences so they just understand each other, and that happens so rarely in their lives.”
Smale competed alongside MacArthur against the likes of four-time Olympic champion Sir Ben Ainslie, and admitted the Trust has allowed him to both learn a new skill and complete a challenge he never thought would be possible.
“Before this I had absolutely no sailing experience,” he said. “It is quite a challenge, especially when you don’t have a lot of experience, but it’s great to meet new people and work as a team, and you do get more confidence.
“Ellen was telling us all her stories about how she sailed around the world and met all these kids, and I just feel lucky to be a part of that.”
The J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round The Island Race is the fourth largest participation sporting event in the UK and the largest yacht race of its kind in the world, attracting anything between 1,500 to 1,800 yachts and 16,000 competitors.
