Hilary Lister

Who is Hilary Lister?

Hilary Lister is a record-breaking quadriplegic sailor from Kent, England. She suffers from the progressive condition reflex sympathetic dystrophy and controls her ship by using sip-and-puff technology for steering and sails.

Lister was able-bodied until the age of 15. She studied biochemistry at Jesus College, Oxford between 1991 and 1995, having lost the use of her legs by then. She started a PhD at the University of Kent in 1996 but her condition deteriorated. She lost the use of her arms in 1999 and was unable to finish her doctorate. She was introduced to sailing in 2003, which she says gave her life "new meaning and purpose".

On 23 August 2005, Lister was the first quadriplegic to sail solo across the English Channel. On 24 July 2007, she became the first female quadriplegic to sail solo around the Isle of Wight. She won the Sunday Times Helen Rollason Award for Inspiration in 2005. She set off to sail solo around Britain on 16 June 2008. Bad weather and technical problems led to the attempt being suspended on 13 August 2008.

On 21 May 2009, Hilary Lister restarted her sail from Plymouth. By 14 August she had reached Bridlington on England’s east coast. She reached the end of her journey, Dover in Kent, on the evening of 31 August 2009, becoming the first disabled woman to sail solo around Britain.