Jessica Bentley

Jessica

About Me:

This year I decided to sail a yacht with two other people, from Cape Town to Cherbourg in France. The trip took us 5 months. Because we decided to sail the “unconventional” route we encountered some tough weather and conditions.

One of the things I learnt from this year was that no situation is bigger than one person. On the yacht when we encountered strong winds or rough seas and extreme pressure situations, there was never any doubt in my mind that we weren’t going to make it through. You just know to put your head down and keep going, you keep pushing yourself. Others are relying on you and trusting you to sail that yacht safely and you know that you WILL come out safely on the other side of it.

I think that I can definitely relate any situation I might face as part of the Unogwaja support crew to this experience I have of sailing across the Atlantic because I believe no obstacle is too big.

I think that, just like on the yacht, Unogwaja brings people together, not just physically but also emotionally, and if its one thing I have learned, its that everything and anything can be accomplished when anyone works together. No challenge or extreme pressure or situation is too big.

I think a quote from Malcolm Gladwell sums up my take on this question- “Courage is not something you already have that makes you brave when the tough times start. Courage is what you earn when you’ve been through tough times and you discover they aren’t so tough after all.”

Donations by Jessica Bentley in 2018