IT seems very little can deter the Border’s Stewart Cathie who won bronze at Special Olympics Nationals for sailing last week.
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Just over two years ago Mr Cathie was learning how to walk and talk again, but now he has his sights set on the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
With the help of Border sailing initiative Sailability and 35 years’ sailing experience, Mr Cathie made it to his first Special Olympics National Games in Melbourne.
He competed in level five, the only solo level, and was up against five other competitors.
He is hoping to be selected for the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles next year.
In 2011, Mr Cathie suffered acute haemorrhagic leukoencephalitis, causing his brain to swell more than 3½ centimetres off centre.
He said it took him three months to learn how to say what had happened to him.
“I was driving to Melbourne on Boxing Day in 2011 and went through McDonald’s at Glenrowan and I couldn’t remember a Big Mac of all things,” he said.
“I got to my mum’s house in Melbourne and sat on the seat when my face drooped and my speech went all funny.
“I was put in an induced coma for three weeks at Monash Medical Centre and I was in hospital for another three weeks after that.”
He was put through three months of rehabilitation before he was able to get back into a yacht.
“My right hand doesn’t work, so I have to do everything with my left hand now,” he said.
“Because I sailed before I wanted to go back to it, so I went into Sailability two years ago.”
Sailability is a not for profit organisation running for people with any type of disability, the elderly and disadvantaged.
A donation of $10,000 from the Rotary Club of Albury West means participants pay $5 per session.
The Sailability season at Albury Wodonga Yacht Club opened on Saturday, people can register or volunteer by emailing sailability@awyc.org.au.