Man with Autism and Trisomy 18 Champions Sailing Certificate

A man with Trisomy 18 and autism from Peterborough has achieved his entry level certificate in sailing after eight years’ experience.

Matthew Robinson, 46, was diagnosed with the conditions when he was a child as well as complex learning difficulties. After growing up in Canada and moving to the UK, he has been supported by New Road, part of Salutem Care and Education for nine years.

His local sailing school started providing lessons for individuals with disabilities and complex needs in 2014, and Matthew has been an avid participant ever since.

Matthew is an individual who requires round the clock support and when he first started sailing, he had a support worker and the sailing teacher with him on the boat. He now has the confidence to steer the boat by himself and is able to go out on the water with only the instructor.

Sailing is one of Matthew’s passions however, because it is a seasonal activity, he can only go out on the boat between April and October. When asked about what he thinks of his experience with sailing, he simply stated: “I love it.”

John Godden MBE, CEO of Salutem Care and Education, said: “Well done Matthew, what an amazing achievement. It is inspiring to see that he has such a passion for sailing

“At Salutem, we are all about making the individuals we support comfortable and push them to get involved with as many activities they can. We are looking forward to getting Matthew back on the water and to see what he can achieve next.”