Ben Pate - Racing Round The World : March 2013

My Story

After being born and diagnosed with deafness in my right ear, I never really gave the disability much thought apart from the obvious annoyances of having to walk on the right, sit on the right, do everything with anyone – on the right. It was only when I was unable to complete a solo flight scholarship due to my deafness with Air Cadets, that I realised I would not be allowed to join the RAF as a pilot. I then understood the limitations that the disability brought to my life. Following this, I took the mentality that I may be limited, but I can do mostly anything. Mostly anything turned into chasing another career path to become a Test Driver. After working in this field for a number of years, I’ve decided to take a career break to take on something truly special – A Round the World Yacht Race.

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is a 40,000 mile circumnavigation of the globe - The longest yacht race in the world. 12 identical 70ft racing yachts, with a crew of 22 on board will race 8 legs with 15 stopovers over 6 continents. We will experience bone numbing freezing conditions in the southern ocean. Hot sweaty, energy sapping temperatures in the tropics. Waves the size of houses in the Pacific, and frustrating zones of zero wind in the doldrums. It's a race to test the physical and mental side of a person working with strangers, when sleep deprived, in a pressure cooker that is a racing yacht. This is no holiday - More people have climbed Everest, than sailed around the world.....

Sunday 31 March 2013

Coxswain Course Going Well

Bernie the teacher is awesome. Getting some good results. Being forced to drink a bit of wine.

Wednesday 27 March 2013

This is my day job

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=WJ02pfgVUoU&client=mv-vf-uk&safesearch=always

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Both arms down!

Yellow fever in the right, Hep A, diphtheria polio and something else in the left. #robot #clipperrace

Monday 25 March 2013

Back at home for 21 hours

Then injections for the @clipperrace and down to gosport for @clipperrace coxswain course!

Please donate!

Www.justgiving.com/Ben-pate-rtw #clipperrace @deafnessuk

Clipper Race Coxswain Course

Heading down to gosport tomorrow! 3 weeks of sailing training coming up. Boom!

Sunday 24 March 2013

2 test trips left...

Then the @clipperrace

Thursday 21 March 2013

Follow your dreams

But understand the compromise

Thursday 14 March 2013

Had a flat..

Sold it to fund @clipperrace, now live at parents and my mum does my washing #cashback

Please donate!

Deafness affects us all as we grow older, donate now to help, please! @deafnessuk

Resting heart rate is pants...

Time for a run down the beach

Wednesday 13 March 2013

@clipperrace @deafnessuk

Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life..

Deafness Research UK Blog

http://www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/blog/life-as-a-test-driver-with-single-sided-deadness

Monday 11 March 2013

Another day another magazine!

@clipperrace @deafnessuk

Saturday 9 March 2013

Need businesses to sponsor me

It's going to be the only way to get to £40k....

In the @clipperrace news!

http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/newsitem/game-on @deafnessuk #clipperrace #wohooo!

Friday 8 March 2013

Good old brother!

My brothers donation takes us over the £1000 mark!!!!

2 x mothers day cards!

Thanks @clipperrace now I have to buy 2 cards for this year and next!

Website!

Www.justgiving.com/Ben-pate-RTW

Please donate!

£1500 could support a summer scholarship to bring a young scientist into hearing research. Please please donate!!

Logged on to work e-mails

To find 2837 in the in-box. 5 months til @clipperrace!

Thursday 7 March 2013

Level 2 Done!

Home and a broken man after @clipperrace level 2 training. Apparently I'm a good helm and kite flyer...get in!

Sunday 3 March 2013

I asked for wind

And it's bloody windy!

Off to Portland!

Hopefully some night sailing but will see. Training going well.

Saturday 2 March 2013

Completed!

Sea survival course done - hope I never have to use a life raft again...

Friday 1 March 2013

Level 2 training

Gong well. A few mistakes still being made, but a learning curve and it's pretty intense. Sea survival today in the swimming pool!

Deafness Research UK / Action on Hearing

This challenge for me, is one to truly test my ability to work around my deafness in an environment where hearing or not hearing your crew mates can be the difference between winning or losing, or what is a real possibility, the difference between a serious injury or not.

I've set up an affiliation with Deafness Research UK who has now been merged with Action on Hearing Loss, as I believe these charities best support the research of hearing loss and the development of cures for the future.

I've suffered in my life with my disability; therefore I would like to do anything I can to help others in the same situation and help benefit their lives.

The overall message I'm trying to send out, is no matter what you restriction in life, you can do anything you want. You just need to go and do it. Please help my race campaign and donate to this great charity.

http://www.deafnessresearch.org.uk/

http://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/