A remarkable athlete born without her lower right arm who has represented team GB four times at the Paralympics plans to become the first disabled woman to complete the “Everest of sailing”. She will tackle the gruelling 28,000 mile solo race across the world called the Vendée Globe.
Hannah Stodel, 36, has come a long way since her schooldays when she was “bullied relentlessly” and called Captain Hook by classmates because of the hook prosthetic she then used. Finding solace at sea, programme manager Hannah, who is single and lives in Southampton, Hampshire, is now hoping to find a backer to help fund the 60-foot monohulled boat she needs for the 2024 global race, which she says can cost anywhere from £650k to millions.
If she is successful, Hannah says she will not only be the first disabled woman to complete the race, she will be only the 11th female to, adding: “It would be an incredible privilege to be the first disabled woman to ever complete it. I want to inspire young girls, not just with sailing, but with sport. I want women to compete at the highest level.
