Seafarer Books is delighted to announce the publication of Walking on Water, an inspirational autobiography written by disabled yachtsman Geoff Holt. 

On 5 September 1984, eighteen-year-old Geoff, a professional yachtsman, dived into a tropical sea, hit his head on the sand, and broke his neck. The accident left him completely paralysed from the chest down, facing the rest of his life in a wheelchair. 

Twenty-three years later to the day, on 5 September 2007, Geoff Holt crossed the finishing line of what he had called his “Personal Everest”. He had sailed 1,500 miles single-handed around Great Britain. 

Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal has written the foreword to Walking on Water, describing Geoff’s voyage as “tremendously courageous” and saying that it “not only inspired a new generation of sailors in this country, it has demonstrated to everyone that disability need not be a barrier to achieving your dream.” 

Writing the afterword for the book, Dame Ellen Macarthur describes it as “beautifully written and honest” and says that she was “truly inspired as I found myself glued to its pages”. 

Walking on Water is subtitled “A voyage around Britain and through life”. Geoff uses the travelogue of his most recent sailing achievement as a framework for a narrative of his life. He tells of his humble beginnings and complicated childhood; how he walked out of school at the age of sixteen to become a professional yachtsman; how an accident two years later changed his life forever; how he spent many months in hospital and fell in love with his nurse Elaine, his wife now for twenty years; how against all the odds he carved out a successful business career; and how he helped to found a national charity, RYA Sailability, which now provides opportunities for thousands of disabled sailors each year under the patronage of Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal. This is the story of one man’s ability to overcome every adversity that life has thrown at him. It is a powerful affirmation of the potential of the human spirit.

Rod Carr, Chief Executive of the Royal Yachting Association, says of the Personal Everest voyage that it was “nothing short of astonishing”.  Geoff’s achievements have won him much praise. Among many other honours, he was voted the 2007 BBC TV South Sports Personality of the Year. 

Walking on Water is above all a very personal story. It tells how someone who suffers a life-changing accident at a young age has to adapt to the news that he will never walk again. In its pages we learn how Geoff came to terms not only with his physical disability but also with the many barriers faced in everyday life. The relationship between a disabled person and his partner/carer is explored with great sensitivity. Geoff attributes all of his achievements to the support he receives from his wife Elaine, and it is her strength and love that underpins everything he does. Geoff was medically retired from work in 1997 but, unwilling to sit idle, he embarked on a BA (Hons) degree in Fine Arts Valuation. He graduated in 2002 and is now a qualified valuer and auctioneer. He proved all the medical experts wrong when his son Timothy was born in the same year. Timothy is now being taught to sail by his father. In 2004 Geoff was awarded the prestigious Royal Yachting Association Award for Services to Yachting, and in 2006 became the first person to gain a powerboat licence whilst using a wheelchair.  

“I had been considering writing a book for some time,” says Geoff, from Shedfield, Hampshire, “but at the age of 42,  I thought I was too young to write an autobiography. However, when I finished my sail around the UK last year and became not only the first quadriplegic to complete the voyage sailing solo, but also the first disabled person to do so, I felt such a magnificent sense of achievement that I thought it should be documented – simply because so many people had followed my story in the sailing press and on my website. But if I was to write a book, then it had to be more than just a diary of my sailing experiences. I took a conscious decision to write about my entire life story, warts and all. It’s been a difficult journey, writing the book, but I wanted to try and explain how an accident, one caused simply by diving into the sea, can change the course of your life so dramatically. I’ve deliberately discussed the impact of that accident on me and those close to me, how I rebuilt my life, despite all the barriers I’ve faced along the way. I’m really very proud of the end result. I have put my heart and soul into all 360 pages of the book, and it’s like a jewel, a piece of me. It feels really precious. My biggest wish is that it will be read by anyone and everyone, not just those interested in sailing – because I want to show what is possible if you apply yourself to fulfilling your dream.” 

Patricia Eve of Seafarer Books says: “From the moment I heard about Geoff’s story, I was determined to sign him as one of our authors. Everything about Geoff – his determination, his character and his incredible story, which is so well written – epitomise completely the ethos of Seafarer.”