Kerry Gruson has been awarded the 2008 Liz Earle Ladies Day Trophy at Skandia Cowes Week.
This award, to celebrate the achievements and contribution of women in sailing is now in its third year, and was presented at a special prizegiving ceremony by Dame Ellen MacArthur. Kerry was the first disabled woman helm to compete at Skandia Cowes Week. Her condition, termed Anoxia (a lack of oxygen to the brain after being strangled by a Vietnam veteran), has left her with paralysis in the legs and arms requiring her to use a wheelchair for mobility on land. While sailing a boat, Kerry uses a specially designed seat that provides the trunk stability necessary to sail in various wind conditions.Competing in her third Skandia Cowes Week this year, Kerry continues her focus on overcoming her own disabilities and the additional element of recovery from cancer. She is a living illustration of joy and courage in sailing - a highly deserving winner of the Liz Earle Ladies Day Trophy. There were four others on the shortlist : Louise Morton, Sam Davies, Hilary Lister and Katie Miller. As well as hosting the reception for this presentation, Island based company Liz Earle, sponsored Ladies Day at Cowes. There was a chance for members of the public to get in on the action with free hand massages and a competition to win Liz Earle products in a competition based on the company’s stand on Cowes Parade.
By A&S Whitewood