Jazz Turner Around the Globe

I want to compete in sailing around the globe. It's my life's dream, and I intend to achieve it.

"But you are a woman."

"But you were not born into a wealthy family."

"But you have a progressive condition and use a wheelchair."

"But you don't have long to live."

That's why I urgently need your help.

Sailing has given me a family. It gives me freedom, independence and something to live for. I have faced many a "No" in my life, and I do my best to turn these into a "Yes".

By competing in sailing, I hope to instil in others that they can do the same. This will only be possible with your support, please support my fundraising to achieve this goal of mine and the many smaller milestones I need to meet to get there.

~~~~

I grew up in an abusive household. At 18, when I realised I was old enough, I left home. I was very kindly taken into foster care. Until then, I had never been to a doctor; I assumed the pain I lived with was normal. My foster mum was a GP and was the first to diagnose that something was wrong.

I was born with a genetic condition called hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Due to never having had any treatment up to that point, my body essentially collapsed, triggered by my reaching puberty. It turned out I had had multiple dislocations and had been walking on broken ankles for years, and I had bone fragments wedged in my ankles, making them collapse and unable to bear my body weight.

After seeing an orthopaedic specialist, and three surgeries later, removing the bone from my ankles meant my ankles were now really unstable. That, combined with both my ATFL ligaments snapping, meant I was now forced to become a wheelchair user.

Although I was born with my condition, I essentially grew up able-bodied - even training as a vocational ballet dancer - just with some odd quirks I thought were normal. EDS comes with a lot of associated conditions, of which I have most, including:

Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) - random allergic reactions to which my body is essentially always reacting, so I have super high histamine levels

Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) - I pass out regularly, usually triggered by a change in position

Gastroparesis and gastrointestinal failure - I am unable to eat or drink and am fed through a central line directly into my heart, as well as underlying heart failure.

All of this means that I have a potentially short but unknown life expectancy. I have been given an estimate of between two and ten years.

I am always trying to get more experience sailing and more experience competing at high-pressure events so that I am in the best position possible to compete if sailing does one day get re-introduced to the Paralympics, another dream of mine.