The Round the Island Race is the fourth largest mass participation event in the UK, after the London Marathon, Great North and Great South runs. Taking place over the weekend of 10-12 th July, the event starts from the Royal Yacht Squadron on Cowes, at 07.00am on Saturday with hundreds of boats racing around the Isle of Wight.
Amongst the many yachts competing this year, one will stand out.
Stride Forward is a national charity that offers mentoring programmes and support for people who have suffered serious physical trauma leading to disability. This year, for the first time, Stride Forward is competing in the Round the Island Race. The crew of sailors, many of whom have severe physical impairments, will race together with a goal to promote the charity that has helped them overcome life-changing injuries through vocational mentoring.
Organised by the Charity’s founder Holly King, the team is being led by record-breaking skipper Brian Thompson, the first Briton to break the speed record twice for sailing around the world, and the first to sail non-stop around the world four times. The Round the Island Race promotes itself as #raceforall; and in its Farr 65 yacht called Whirlwind, the Stride Forward team reflect that desire, with the crew comprising men and women who have overcome physical injuries, many of whom have never sailed before.
Meet the crew
Simon was in a road traffic collision while cycling. He suffered a traumatic brain injury and lost right elbow and hand, partial hand on left, and below knee amputation. Simon is new to sailing and lives in Colchester.
Stu was in a road traffic collision on a motorbike. From Cornwall, he lost his leg above the knee. Stu sailed with Stride Forward during Cowes Week 2025.
Jim comes from Manchester, and was in a road traffic collision while cycling. He is a below knee amputee. Jim sailed with Stride Forward during Cowes Week 2025.
Mat has 60% burns from fuel while working for ProDrive as engineer. Mat is new to sailing and lives in Northamptonshire.
Naill comes from Durham and has Autism and learning difficulties. Nail has previously sailed with Sailability, another sailing charity.
Ben was part of a rugby tackle that went wrong and is below knee amputee. Ben, who lives in London, sailed in Cowes Week 2025 and as part of mentorship has been Holly King’s first mate during the sail training.
Laura from Hampshire was electrocuted when she landed on a power cable on sky diving landing. Laura is registered blind and suffered severe burns. Laura is new to sailing.
Annie has a traumatic brain injury that has led to epilepsy and lower limb burns. Annie, who lives in London, is new to sailing.
This team will race together with Skipper Brian Thompson, who lives in Devon; founder Holly King from East Devon, Stride Forward Trustee Adam Marchant-Wincott from Northampton, and London-based Photographer and Stride Forward Mentor Matt Dickens.
About Stride Forward
Stride Forward was set up by Holly King, a physiotherapist by profession and also a keen sailor, to help individuals adjust after life-changing injuries. Holly explains: “The rates of survival from major trauma have dramatically improved. 20,000 people a year have a life-changing injury, with average age of 36. But surviving is only the beginning and individuals constantly cite loss of purpose and identity as the number one impact.”
Stride Forward’s mission - Giving the Gift of the Ordinary - supports mentees to reclaim their confidence, identity, and purpose in a way that feels accessible, individual and empowering. Through a structured 1:1 mentoring programme, Stride Forward offers a sense of agency, opportunity and encouragement, to achieve individual’s vocational goals in employment, business, social enterprise, or sport. Volunteer mentors are recruited for vocational expertise, not lived experience of disability. A photographer paired with a photography-loving mentee, a motorsport engineer with a mechanic. Through the relationship, professionals gain firsthand insight into the barriers people of disability face and return to their workplaces as inclusion advocates.
Holly says: “One mentoring relationship ripples across an entire industry. For example, seeing the relationship that has developed from our photographer Matt Dickens, who first came just to do a photo shoot for us, and is now a mentor assisting one of our mentees Sean to get a foothold into the photographic world, is fantastic.”
