October 2011
Young person wins sailing accolade in the Torbay Cup
Kieran Maxwell, 22, was presented
with a prestigious sailing award in recognition of his outstanding
individual achievement and personal effort during this year’s Tall
Ships Race.
Having beaten 8,000 other young people
to the title, the Torbay Cup was presented to Kieran at a ceremony
in South Shields, close to Kieran’s home in front of friends and
family. In addition to the trophy, he received €500 of funding to
be put towards his next sail training voyage.
Kieran sailed from Waterford to Greenock as a
trainee on board the Spirit of Fairbridge, part of the
Fairbridge programme, for the first leg of the annual race,
organised by charity Sail Training International, which harnesses
sail training to develop and educate young people aged 16-25 from a
variety of backgrounds.
Kieran had a difficult upbringing, and
following the death of his mother and his father being sent to
prison, he went to live with his grandparents. However, after
becoming involved in drink and drugs, he spent several years living
in hostels. It was through one of these hostels that he was
referred to the Fairbridge programme in Tyne and Wear, part of The
Prince’s Trust.
After completing the residential Access
course, Kieran progressed to the follow-on programmes offered at
the centre, which boosted his confidence and self-esteem. With the
support of the staff he began dealing with his substance abuse and
completed his first stint on Spirit in February.
Kieran’s progression saw him invited back to take part in the Tall
Ships Race over the summer.
Campbell Greer, Skipper of Spirit
said, “Kieran has made excellent progress since embarking on the
Fairbridge programme and is working hard towards his future.
His work throughout the Tall Ships Race and being awarded the
Torbay Cup is testament to his determination. The Fairbridge
programme works with many young people such as Kieran, giving them
the skills, confidence and motivation to change their lives, just
as he is doing.”
Kieran said of the experience, “I’d never even
heard of The Tall Ships Race so went with no expectations. I hadn’t
met anyone else on board before but we all had to get on pretty
quickly as there was work to be done. On the last day of sailing,
the wind came from nowhere. The gusts were so intense, there were
15ft waves. It was great seeing the team work together."
For the first time in my life I feel everything
is going in the right direction. The important thing I’ve learned
is that only you can make things happen – there are opportunities
out there to change your life. I really appreciate the captain
asking me back to train as a boatswain as he said I had a good
ethic – I can’t wait to do more sailing in future.
Mike Bowles, a Race Director for Sail Training International
commented, “Congratulations to Kieran on winning the Torbay Cup
which has been awarded to him for the amazing work ethic he
demonstrated in addition to his personal ability to connect with
the crew and other trainees. There is a misconception that
sailing is an elitist activity but that really isn’t the case for
The Tall Ships Race. Absolutely anybody can take part regardless of
background or physical ability and there is funding to help young
people to get involved. As well as being an enormous amount
of fun and a chance to undertake a personal challenge, there is the
opportunity to develop team building and leadership skills that can
help in everyday life.”