We hereby summarize the results of the largest expedition on the Mediterranean Sea involving people with disabilities!
A unique series of events within the framework of the “Sails of the Spirit” project ended in the city of Marmaris on November 22. It reconfirmed that anyone can hoist a sail, tie knots and steer a yacht, regardless of their physical limitations. In the format of an offshore race along the routes Finike-Tasucu, Tasucu-Marmaris, two yachts consisting of male and female crews sailed 620 nautical miles to the finish, where winners of the regatta were announced.
The project “Sails of the Spirit 2023: Development of Extrability Communities” in Turkey was implemented with the support of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom.
From October 21 to November 4, volunteers with and without disabilities from Turkey, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran, Egypt, Germany and Latvia organized socio-cultural events aimed at supporting international cooperation, inclusive culture and helping people who have physical limitations from birth or resulting from accidents.
Stage 19 of the project became unique and memorable for several reasons:
- The “Sails of the Spirit” team, together with the whole country, celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic as part of the Extrability Days in the province of Mersin.
- Men's and women's teams with the participation of people with disabilities competed in the offshore race.
- Extrability Movement Clubs were organized on each yacht - volunteer clubs that support the development of Extrability through projects and inclusive activities.
On October 21, the yachts “Instant Zero” and “Anja Sophie” left the port of Marmaris in the direction of Finike, under the leadership of experienced captains from Latvia - Signe Zigela and Edgars Zakis. Throughout the expedition they taught the volunteers on board the skills of sailing.
And already on October 23, the “Extrability Day” was solemnly opened in hospitable Finik. During the sailing regatta with the participation of local residents, inclusive master classes and environmental events were organized on the shore. Local residents learned how to tie sea knots, dance national dances, navigate blindly and much more!
The second stage of the race ended in the city of Tarsus. It was there that on October 27 a panel discussion “Rehabilitation and socialization of people injured in various accidents” was held, which was attended by representatives of the city administration and the Akkuyu Nuclear nuclear plant.
The events of the following days were impressive in their scope and friendly atmosphere. From October 28 to 30, the organizers of the festival NGO “WHITE CANE” and “Tarsus disability platform” promoted inclusion among local residents and took part in a festive procession that united the whole country! Since 2018, the “Sails of the Spirit” project has been organizing “Extrability Days” in Mersin province. And this time, the International Expedition Team specifically chose this date to congratulate the Republic of Turkey on its 100th anniversary.
At the Extrability Day festival, everyone felt a joyful and positive atmosphere, taking part in inclusive games and watching an exciting regatta with the participation of people with disabilities. The highlight of the day is a concert of the musical group of the Association of People with Visual Impairments of Tarsus and national dances of guests from Kazakhstan and Iran.
After this, the team took part in a lively procession with the organization of inclusive master classes in the heart of the city of Tarsus. Then, on October 30, the project team met at the University of Mersin with students interested in sharing experiences and new knowledge.
Another important event of the day was also the signing of an international tripartite protocol of intent. The signatories were the organizations NGO “WHITE CANE” (Russia), Tarsus disability platform (Turkey) and the NGO “Youth Society of Disabled People” (Kazakhstan).
After the longest sea voyage of 310 nautical miles, the Sails of the Spirit program officially ended on November 4th. Arrival in Marmaris was the symbolic end of the boat race, which was won by the women's team!
“This sea cruise turned out to be truly very impressive, because during the trip, the sea showed itself to us in all its glory,” said Singe Zigela. the captain of the women's team from Latvia. “The weather ranged from complete calm to strong windy breezes and huge waves. During the regatta, wind gusts reached 23 knots and waves reached 1.52 meters in height. Despite the fact that the entire team consisted only of women, of which only 3 were professionals, we managed to introduce everyone to the sailing process. This expedition proved that a team of only women can cope and go on sailing trips,” she added.
“This project has become for me a window into a wonderful world and a door to a bright future, " said Daria Husseini, a blind participant from Iran. “In this project, step by step, I discovered a lot for myself. During the festival, we were truly a team, and in an amazing way, people from all over the world became involved in the centennial anniversary of the beautiful, hospitable and loving Turkish Republic. It was a journey of soul and mind to discover your abilities. And in competitions, I realized that I can always be a champion in any situation, thanks to my Extrability,” she added.
Project Partners: - State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM - Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation "Rossotrudnichestvo". - Medscan Group of Companies - Tarsus Disability Platform (Türkiye) - Mersin metropolitan municipality (Türkiye) - Tarsus Municipality (Türkiye) - Silifke Municipality (Türkiye) - Mersin University (Türkiye) - Silifke Distpict Governorship (Türkiye) - Finike Municipality (Türkiye) - Antalya Municipality (Türkiye) - Inclusive information portal #DefactoFM (Kazakhstan) - Dr. Volkova Rehabilitation Clinic - Village of Hope for Development and Rehabilitation for Persons with Disabilities (Egypt) - Russian Society of Antalya (Türkiye) - Institute of Management Design and Competitive Strategies, LLC - Travel company "ELDORADO tour"