Bomb blast ex-soldier becomes first triple amputee to complete solo Pacific crossing
A former soldier who lost both legs and a hand in a bomb blast has become the first triple amputee to sail solo and non-stop across the Pacific.
Craig Wood, from Doncaster, made history by covering 7,506 nautical miles unsupported in 90 days.
The 33-year-old former rifleman left Puerto Vallarta in Mexico on 25 March, arriving at Hiroshima, Japan, on 24 June.
He said: 'I'm exhausted – but so proud to complete an expedition that many thought impossible.
'It has tested me and my boat, Sirius II, almost to the limit, but I tried to stay in the moment, focus on my goal and the thought of seeing my wife and children at the end spurred me on."
Wood was just three months into his first tour in Afghanistan at the age of 18 when he was badly injured in an explosion in June 2009.
As well as losing his legs and hand he suffered two collapsed lungs and shrapnel wounds.
He underwent 20 operations over the next four years, learning to walk again at the dedicated Headley Court facility in Surrey.
Wood lives on his boat with his wife, Renata, and their two young children for much of the year.
He battled unpredictable weather, sleep deprivation and isolation to achieve his record-breaking feat.
'It's been anything but straight forward,' he said.
'Recently I broke my prosthetic arm, leaving me one-handed, which is nothing I haven't had to deal with previously but it has made things a bit more difficult while sailing.
"I'm incredibly proud and want to be an example to anyone else living as an amputee that you can achieve any goal you set out to - there are no limits.
'It's still my hope that by achieving this world record I can change the perception of disability, and show how sailing can transform the lives of those affected by trauma."
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ITV News
3 days ago
- ITV News
Bomb blast ex-soldier becomes first triple amputee to complete solo Pacific crossing
A former soldier who lost both legs and a hand in a bomb blast has become the first triple amputee to sail solo and non-stop across the Pacific. Craig Wood, from Doncaster, made history by covering 7,506 nautical miles unsupported in 90 days. The 33-year-old former rifleman left Puerto Vallarta in Mexico on 25 March, arriving at Hiroshima, Japan, on 24 June. He said: 'I'm exhausted – but so proud to complete an expedition that many thought impossible. 'It has tested me and my boat, Sirius II, almost to the limit, but I tried to stay in the moment, focus on my goal and the thought of seeing my wife and children at the end spurred me on." Wood was just three months into his first tour in Afghanistan at the age of 18 when he was badly injured in an explosion in June 2009. As well as losing his legs and hand he suffered two collapsed lungs and shrapnel wounds. He underwent 20 operations over the next four years, learning to walk again at the dedicated Headley Court facility in Surrey. Wood lives on his boat with his wife, Renata, and their two young children for much of the year. He battled unpredictable weather, sleep deprivation and isolation to achieve his record-breaking feat. 'It's been anything but straight forward,' he said. 'Recently I broke my prosthetic arm, leaving me one-handed, which is nothing I haven't had to deal with previously but it has made things a bit more difficult while sailing. "I'm incredibly proud and want to be an example to anyone else living as an amputee that you can achieve any goal you set out to - there are no limits. 'It's still my hope that by achieving this world record I can change the perception of disability, and show how sailing can transform the lives of those affected by trauma."
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Triple amputee becomes first to complete solo Pacific sail
A former soldier has become the first triple amputee to sail solo, non-stop and unsupported across the Pacific Wood, 33, from Doncaster, arrived at Hiroshima in Japan at 01:00 BST on Tuesday, 90 days after leaving Puerto Vallarta in said he hoped to show anyone living as an amputee that "you can achieve any goal you set out to - there are no limits".He added: "I'm exhausted - but so proud to complete an expedition that many thought impossible." "It has tested me and my boat, Sirius II, almost to the limit, but I tried to stay in the moment, focus on my goal and the thought of seeing my wife and children at the end spurred me on," Mr Wood said."We are expecting our third child so I am so excited to get back to them all and start this new chapter together." Mr Wood completed 7,506 nautical miles at an average speed of 3.6 knots, facing unpredictable weather, sleep deprivation and isolation, as well as challenges associated with his the challenge he found time to cultivate a tomato plant and make pies, pizza and bread from scratch with one said: "Recently I broke my prosthetic arm leaving me one-handed, which is nothing I haven't had to deal with previously but it has made things a bit more difficult while sailing."However, I've found the whole thing to be a spiritual experience that has made me even more appreciative of the life I have been able to create for myself after everything that happened to me."It's still my hope that by achieving this world record I can change the perception of disability, and show how sailing can transform the lives of those affected by trauma."Mr Wood was raising money for Blesma, which supports limbless veterans and Turn to Starboard, which helps members of the armed forces to readjust to civilian former rifleman was posted to Afghanistan shortly after his 18th birthday, but three months later he lost both legs and his left hand in a blast from an improvised explosive Wood normally lives on his boat, Sirius II, with his wife, Renata, and their two young children. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Rhyl Journal
3 days ago
- Rhyl Journal
Briton becomes first triple amputee to sail solo and unsupported across the Pacific
Craig Wood, from Doncaster in South Yorkshire, was 18 years old when he suffered life-changing injuries from a roadside bomb in Sangin, southern Afghanistan, in 2009. Mr Wood, now 33, has sailed 7506 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean in 90 days to raise funds for the charities who helped his recovery. The father-of-two set off from Puerto Vallarta in Mexico on March 25 and arrived in Hiroshima in Japan on Tuesday morning. 'I'm exhausted – but so proud to complete an expedition that many thought impossible,' Mr Wood told the PA news agency from the finish line in Hiroshima. 'It has tested me and my boat, Sirius II, almost to the limit, but I tried to stay in the moment, focus on my goal and the thought of seeing my wife and children at the end spurred me on. 'We are expecting our third child so I am so excited to get back to them all and start this new chapter together.' Mr Wood, who completed his expedition in a 41-foot custom-built aluminium catamaran called Sirius II, experienced a number of issues with his boat throughout the journey. This included one of the engines seizing up three weeks into his sail and the boom, which is a horizontal bar that extends along the bottom edge of a sail, coming off. 'It's been anything but straight forward,' added Mr Wood. 'Recently I broke my prosthetic arm leaving me one-handed which is nothing I haven't had to deal with previously, but it has made things a bit more difficult while sailing. 'However, I've actually found the whole thing to be a spiritual experience that has made me even more appreciative of the life I have been able to create for myself after everything that happened to me. 'It's still my hope that by achieving this world record I can change the perception of disability, and show how sailing can transform the lives of those affected by trauma. 'It's also been a chance for me to raise awareness and money for the two amazing charities who were there for me during my rehabilitation and recovery.' The former rifleman said he witnessed a number of beautiful moments during his expedition including seeing a lunar bow and encountering Risso's dolphins. 'I witnessed a lunar bow, which is a rainbow that's shown by the full moon,' he said. 'Just as the sun sets, and you have the light of the full moon that casts a rainbow on a cloud in front of you. 'I had all these amazing experiences that were truly mine and new.' Mr Wood lost both legs and his left hand in an IED (improvised explosive device) bomb blast in Sangin. He also suffered two collapsed lungs, lost 27 pints of blood and his face was ravaged by shrapnel. It took eight months for him to learn to walk again and four-and-a-half years of rehabilitation work at the dedicated Headley Court facility in Surrey to improve his quality of life. He also underwent 20 operations over four years. Mr Wood credits 'radical acceptance' as an important part of his recovery. 'You can either focus on the past that's not the new you, or focus on how the new you can become the best you that there is,' he said. 'Surround yourself with people who want that new you to be the best you and you'll go very far. 'I believe attacking it face on and head on, you'll come out the victor.' To learn more about Mr Wood's challenge you can visit his fundraising page:
