Sailing around the world with MS

Everyday life Sailors Heidi Helm-Krieg (49 years old) and Mikael Farver (55 years old) are experts at it. On May 31, they abandoned Warrior 40 at Marina Moidersand, never to return. As if that wasn’t cool enough, they both have MS. We talk to these lively people just before leaving
Council for Blue SeptemberAnd ask how things are going now. I read the whole story To sail Edition 10/2023.

Slightly exhausted, Heidi Helmstraff, 49, and Mikkel Farver, 55, collapse onto the gray-blue cushions of the Warrior 40 cabin. Heidi, who stands 1.60 meters tall and wears sunglasses in her blond hair, takes a sip from a thermos filled with soft drinks. coffee . . The date January 23, 2023 – their wedding day – is printed in blue on the mug. Danish Mikkel, wearing a Helly Hansen T-shirt and standing exactly 30 centimeters taller than his wife, casts his serious and friendly gaze over the well-kept cabin. Everything is arranged and ready to go. The backpacks they returned with late at night from Greece – where they volunteered for two weeks during sailing holidays for people with the brain disease multiple sclerosis – are nowhere to be seen.

Mikel: “It’s been quite the confrontation these weeks. A friend with MS who was unwell during a sailing trip five years ago is now there as one of us.” Vegetables bee. This is the case with MS: it can happen suddenly and quickly.
Heidi: “It was also physically difficult on Oceans of Hope, as the MS sailings are called. We had three people in wheelchairs on board. With each route you are busy moving bodies. But still: everyone is very grateful. And that makes these trips Very inspiring and we keep coming back to it.
Mikkel: “We are now tired and satisfied. Because of this fatigue, the symptoms of MS began to appear: I now feel the familiar tingling in my fingertips again.

Sailing the world and having a chronic illness are not two things that often go together. Why do you want to leave forever?

Mikkel: “Since childhood my dream was to sail around the world. As I got older, the idea that I would regret it if I tried it became stronger. It takes courage and money to make the decision. It wasn’t until I moved to the Netherlands seven years ago that time came.
Heidi: “I hardly sailed, but I did water sports and travel. I actually worked at KLM as a flight attendant for eight years. My family always said: You can’t stay here in the Netherlands. I laughed. But they were right about that. We leave next week. Before joining Oceans of Hope seven years ago, I had only sailed once. It was during a quiet team outing with KLM. “Nothing on him.”

Sailing 10/2023

Are you curious to know the rest of the story? When did the two meet? Why did Heidi and Mikkel leave earlier than planned? If someone gets sick, what should he do? What was it like for the couple when they found out they had MS? Where do the couple expect to sail? I read it all in Sailing 10/2023. Buy the issue online here in the online store or read (the article) To sail here Digital. The release is also available in stores until Wednesday, October 25. And would you like to read this kind of story every month from now on? Then become a subscriber here.

Cover art and photo: © Noah Moyes
Text: Noah Mewis

Last modified: October 18, 2023