Shropshire Star

Emergency repair for Shrewsbury rower Kelda as finishing line nears

Disabled transatlantic rower Kelda Wood, from Shrewsbury, has been forced to carry out an emergency repair to her boat as she enters the final stretch of her 3,000-mile voyage to the Caribbean.

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The footplate on Kelda's boat Storm Petrel, which supports her injured leg, broke on Tuesday with just over 600 miles to go.

Kelda, who began the expedition on December 10, says she was reduced to tears following the trouble on Tuesday night. But she said she was quickly able put the setback in perspective.

Kelda - who celebrated her 46th birthday aboard her boat on January 19 - is rowing from La Gomera in the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean. She is hoping to raise £50,000 for her charity Climbing Out, which helps young people who have suffered life-changing injuries to enjoy outdoor activities.

Kelda Wood

Kelda, who narrowly failed to qualify for the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, was left with a severe disability to her left leg following an accident in a hay barn in 2002.

She said the broken footplate was a serious setback, but she managed to carry out a temporary repair.

"This was a major problem for me as it's this footplate that makes it possible for my gammy leg to row for 14-15 hours a day," she said.

Solution

"After rowing just a few strokes, it was obvious my leg wasn't going to cope with it not working properly.

"So I bodged together a solution! I don't think it'll last until Antigua, but at least I now know what to do if it breaks again.

"I'm not going to lie, I cried somewhat childishly and hysterically... just how much does this ocean want to throw at me?

"But half way through my little outburst, my tears turned to laughter, because I suddenly realised that when I eventually get back home, nothing is ever going to seem like a problem again.”

Kelda said she was expecting to reach her destination in about two weeks.

Said she had a chat this week with a sailor who was doing his first ocean crossing.

"I seem to have met a variety of boats and vessels out here on the Atlantic, and yesterday a solo sailor passed by who was doing his first ocean crossing," she said.

"He came and said hello and commented that what I was doing look far too much like hard work!

"He just puts up a sail, drinks coffee, listens to music, and lets the wind do all the work."