The Single-Handed Sailor makes the news again
When I owned a guesthouse years ago I met some extraordinary people. Some were exceptionally bad people such as the woman who was traveling with her child and was always drunk and talking about killing herself (we reported her to the German Embassy by phone and they were very aware of who she was before I even said her name.) Others had been traveling for many years and had been to just about everywhere you could think of.
Then there was this Dustin Reynolds, a man who was missing an arm and a leg but yet accomplished and continues to accomplish so much more than the rest of us do in life.
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Dusin was living a relatively comfortable and routine life in the NE United States when one night he was hit by a drunk driver and left for dead. The driver was caught, and faced charges, but that doesn't change the fact that Dustin barely made it out of the situation alive. In the process he lost a leg and an arm.
The situation didn't get better because the drunk-driver had no insurance and Dustin and his family had to spend half-a-million dollars in medical expenses. Imagine losing 2 of your limbs and nearly your life all because of something that is not your fault at all, and then being forced to go into extreme debt over it. Sounds like something that would make me wish I was dead... but not Dustin.
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Dustin began his journey 4 years ago by mostly donations and grants from various organizations. The eventual goal? To be the first double amputee to sail solo around the world. He isn't going for speed, just to accomplish it. The stories he has to tell of being caught in massive storms in the middle of the Pacific Ocean are terrifying. All of his stories would be remarkable for a person with all of their limbs, let alone someone with only 50% of theirs
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it wasn't necessary to go to Antarctica for the world-record, he just wanted to
While he was visiting his father in Thailand (just happened to live in the same city as me at the time) I got to know him pretty well. There are a lot of people out there that can be considered inspirational but Dustin is truly different. Here is a guy that has lots of reason to feel sorry for himself, yet he doesn't do that at all. He does all the stuff that everyone else does and never makes excuses. I went hiking with him one day, only to have him leave me in the dust: I was the one bitching about how hot it was and how tired i was.
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That's Krabi by the way
He stops in ports around the world and many times there are repairs that need to be done that take weeks to sort out, most of which he performs on his own. It is important to keep in mind that before starting this journey, Dustin had almost zero sailing experience - he made up for that by just having balls. I can't imagine the courage it would take to start out in California, and just be like "I'm gonna sail to Hawaii, 2500 miles away!" Me and my four limbs do not have what it takes to try this, and I seriously admire Dustin for his accomplishments.
His journey continues today and was recently featured in Bermuda's top newspaper.
If you would like to follow or support Dustin in his journey, his website is available here
Hat's off to Dustin! He is a major inspiration to all of us. That's quite interesting that this man sailed all the way around through world. even meeting with him must have turned out to be great experience of yours. and what about that depressed lady you reported earlier about?
anyways, keep flourishing always.
i saw the depressed lady many years later as she returned to apologize for her behavior. Her daughter ended up doing ok in life thanks to her grandmother.
The depressed lady had serious problems with drugs and alcohol and was a real mess. Child Protective Services definitely would have taken her child away from her if she had been in her home country. There was nothing we could do. The embassy would only intervene if we had her arrested, we threatened to have her arrested and she just left town when faced with that.
Seriously such stuff is disturbing. and that kid is doing fine now is what matters. and that's really nice that child protective services are such aware always. anyways whereever she may be now she hopefully be fine.
Sorry, but i can't jump. don't take me.
Wow, like really. I can't imagine myself being that strong both mentally and physically. How cool you somehow became friends! Too round of a world
Oh! actually, this story reminds me of one girl who surfs that also lost her arm T^T
i think i know who you are talking about. Shark got her, and now she is back in the water and is still really good with one arm.
That one!
Does he have a job or is it just the sponsorship's that get him by? I guess sailing around the world wouldn't be the first thing I though of doing if I had just spent every penny I had on medical expenses. That is awesome that he is able to do it though. Don't get me wrong, I don't question the awesomeness of his motivation and strength of will, I just wonder about the fiscal implications. I don't think I could do what he did if I were in the same position!
he doesn't have another job that I am aware of. He has sponsors and what not. I would imagine at the end of all this he will write a book. Of course he is probably entitled to some sort of disability as well. I never asked him the details of it all because, well, i guess i thought it would be kind of mean.
That makes sense.