Stuart Mitchell

Stuart Mitchell is 19 Years old and is from Cosham. This is what he had to say about the challenge in front of him:

"The thing that I am looking forward to most on this trip is going to be the challenge of getting myself up at early hours and being ready enough to sail the boat competently.

I am also excited about seeing Canada, as I have never been to Canada or America before. Also, having read the reports from Matt and Jay, I really hope we get to see some whales on our leg!

I discovered the project by talking to my mum who is closely linked with the DoE schemes in Portsmouth. She said, almost as a passing comment, that they were seeking applications and it gripped my imagination - although I really didn't think I'd get selected!

The best part for me so far was the weeks sail training that I undertook at the beginning of the summer, having only done a small amount of dingy sailing with the sea scouts when I was 11, it really widened my eyes to the world of sailing and yachting. I learned how to sail, look after a boat, live in a confined space with other people, and cook nutritious meals for groups of up to ten people.

To help with the fundraising I have helped with packing bags in supermarkets, arranged car boot sales and am currently trying to organise a Christmas fete, which will benefit us all greatly if all goes to plan.

My hopes for the future have not changed in the sense that I still want to do Physiotherapy. The big difference I think will be that my look onto life beyond the materialistic world will change with experiences such as the magic of being on deck with nothing but water around you and watching the sun creep over the horizon, to the silent sound of the waves breaking on the hull of the boat. Those experiences and the people I have met through this project will change me as a person, and hopefully that will be reflected in what I do later in life.

From completing this expedition I hope to gain a sense of adventure as I have not done anything quite like this before. I have also gained a sense of teamwork through all the fundraising meetings and commitments, along with friendships with people that I would not usually meet."

For Stuart, these friendships with people he would not usually meet are one of the most important aspects of this project. His background is not the classic definition of disadvantage - he has just finished A-levels in Maths, Biology, Physics and PE and is going on to study Physiotherapy at Keele University in September 2006. However, he had little idea of the world outside of his social group and his inclusion among the Young Adults has done much to help the whole group break down the pre-conceptions that exist of the 'haves' and 'have-nots'. Breaking down those misconceptions and helping all the Young Adults to cross perceived social boundaries is as important a skill for life as many of the others they will learn.