"Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful” - Joshua J. Marine. Gerry has fearlessly accepted all the challenges and successfully fulfilled his lifelong ambitious dream of becoming the first deaf person to sail single-handedly around the world via the five capes. During his solo circumnavigation of the world, sea and weather were constantly changing but he completed his challenge with his strong determination and thorough planning. Other than sailing, he has represented Scotland in the World Deaf Golf Championships six times. In 2007, he was the first deaf person to attain chartered teacher status in Scotland. He has numerous achievements and recognitions including the Lifetime Achievement award at Deaf Sport Personality of the Year, 2014, Ricoh Arena, Coventry and an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Glasgow in recognition of his contribution to education, disabled rights, and sports.

What inspired you to sail solo around the world? What kind of challenges did you face? What did you miss the most while sailing solo across the world?G: I have been sailing all my life. My father took me sailing when I was about 2 years old. We always had sailing books in our house. I would look at the pictures and maps and imagine myself doing the same.
Every day was a challenge. The seas and weather are constantly changing so I had to continually plan ahead. The biggest challenges were in the southern oceans where the waves are massive and the seas are heavy and fast.
My family. It took me a wee while to get use to not having someone to sign to every day but you learn to live with that. My wife Kay and I emailed each other every day so I was able to keep up to date with news. I also missed steak and chips and a hot shower!

What kind of boat do you use for solo sailing? Did you customize your boat per your requirement?G: Quest III is a Beneteau 427s – a cruising yacht. I had to make lots of modifications to bring her up to Ocean Safety Standards for sailing round the world (especially the southern oceans). It took 2 years to get Quest III ready for sailing round the world.

Which sailing challenge has been most memorable?G: That’s a good question. Sailing can be very dangerous so every time you sail it is a challenge. But some of the most memorable sails are probably:

• when my friends and I had to sail through a terrible storm in the Bay of Biscay.
• Sailing round the British Isles with my mate Matthew Jackson. We were the first deaf crew to circumnavigate the British Isles without the aid of communication.
• OSTAR 2005: (The Original Single Handed Trans Atlantic Race). I was the first deaf skipper to take part in OSTAR.
• Sailing round the world via the Five Great Capes with Quest III

You have received plenty of awards and recognition. Which award is closest to you heart and why?G: That is a difficult question because every award has a special meaning. If I have to pick one, it is being awarded Doctor of Letters from the University of Glasgow. I struggled to read and write until I was about 15 years of age. I would never ever have dreamed that one day I would be given a D.Litt. My father was a student at the University of Glasgow and my uncle was a chaplain there so that makes it even more special to me.

What kind of struggle have you faced during your early education? How did you overcome those struggles?G: I struggled with basic literacy: reading and writing. That was because of the philosophy of oralism in deaf education. Sign language was banned in school and we had to learn by using our residual hearing to ‘listen’ and lip-read the teacher. We were forced to speak and were not allowed to use sign language. I could say the words on the page but I did not know what they meant. My mum and dad moved me to a residential school in England to try to give me a chance of an education. It was terrible at the time and I was heart-broken to be separated from my mum and dad but looking back I have to thanks them. It was there that the head teacher spotted that I had potential. She gave me one-to-on reading tuition every day. After about 18 months, I started to understand the words on the page and I felt as if a whole new world was opening up in front of me. I knew that education was the key to achieving my ambition of sailing round the world.

Who is your inspiration?G: My father. My dad and I were very close. He took me sailing every weekend but more than that he believed that being deaf should not be a barrier to achievement. He never patronised me or molly-coddled me because I am deaf and encouraged me to be ambitious. He would say: it will be very difficult and you will have to work hard and I would reply “I will”. He taught me never to be afraid to ask questions. That is so important. If you don’t know understand something? Ask for an explanation and more information.

What is your favorite place to visit? What do you love about that place?G: I have two favourite places: the Isle of Bute and the Isle of Arran. They are both small islands off of the West coast of Scotland. As a boy, we spent our family holidays on the Isle of Bute, so I have many happy memories of Bute. My wife Kay and I and my two daughters (Nicola and Ashley) spent many family holidays on the Isle of Arran. We love it there.

What are your other hobbies?G: I love playing golf. There are lots of beautiful golf courses in Scotland. I also have 5 hens and enjoy looking after them.

What advice would you give to our community who want to explore a world as a sailor?G: I don’t think my advice is just about sailing but it is something that I strongly believe: Everyone has the right to have a dream. Follow you dreams. Don’t be disheartened if you face barriers: think of them as challenges that you will learn from. Be patient. Your time will come!

Any special message for our community?G: The same words my father said to me: stand on your own two feet and take one step at a time. You will get there.