A 15-YEAR-OLD from Redlynch who is recovering from cancer has just returned from an eight-day voyage with the Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust.

Emily Wright sailed from Cowes to Dartmouth with a crew of four other young cancer survivors, a skipper, mate, medic and onboard reporter.

The South Wilts School pupil went on her first sailing trip with the charity last year after being treated for a brain tumour in 2010.

She had 18 months of chemotherapy and is now in remission but the tumour has left her registered blind. Not letting it stop her, she is the goalie and captain for her school’s able bodied U16 football team, plays the saxophone, does water skiing and is involved with a triathlon club.

On this trip Emily moored in at Cowes, Yarmouth, Poole, Weymouth, Portland and Dartmouth and covered around 120 nautical miles. Her favourite moment from the trip was helming into Dartmouth in the evening while the sun set over the southern coastline and a pod of dolphins came and jumped in and out of the wake as they sailed in under main sail and head sail alone.

She said: “All the adults, kids and volunteers understand what you have been through and what you are capable of. They don’t care about your disability or the past, only about what you can achieve in the future. I’ve made lifelong friends, learnt sailing skills and felt at ease with others who understand me.”

In July, Emily held a non-uniform day and cake sale at South Wilts to raise money and awareness for the cancer trust as well as presenting three assemblies to different year groups.

The Ellen MacArthur Cancer Trust was set up by Dame Ellen MacArthur in 2003 and aims to rebuild the confidence of young people after cancer. Part of the trust’s Round Britain voyage which started in Largs, Scotland in May and finishes there next month September), Emily’s trip on Moonspray, a 45ft yacht, took place place between August 5-12.

Overall she raised around £300 for the charity.

To donate visit ellenmacarthurcancertrust.org/round-britain-2017/