Jessica Watson confronted loads of challenges throughout her solo sail around the globe at simply 16 years previous, nonetheless, she’s now embarking on a way more private marketing campaign.
Ms Watson has shared her journey via the “horrendous” grief of shedding her associate Cam Dale in late 2021 after his shock dying at age 29 from a “catastrophic stroke”.
The pair have been about to start engaged on the filming of the film ‘True Spirit’ about Ms Watson’s life, when Cam suffered from a minor stroke.
“It went from a totally ordinary, lovely, exciting day to ICU for six weeks,” she mentioned.
He then went on to endure from a “catastrophic stroke” whereas in hospital, passing away on August 30 2021.
“It’s absolutely horrendous, there’s no way to sort of soften what really intense grief is like, and I have so much empathy for everyone who experiences something like this,” she mentioned.
“There’s no way to sugarcoast it, it’s been incredibly, incredibly hard.”
The pair met whereas Ms Watson skippered Another Challenge with the youngest crew to compete within the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, with Cam among the many crew.
“I suppose our lives together really revolved around sailing…and I suppose in the years since we were having fun sailing together and building a life,” she mentioned.
“I had very much expected it to be a forever thing and never imagined that something like this could happen.”
The reason behind Cam’s stroke was hypertension, one thing he didn’t know that he suffered from till he was hit by tragedy.
“It’s just something that is not on the radar for active young people, and it really needs to be because, for us, it really came out of nowhere,” she mentioned.
“We had absolutely no idea.”
Through her grief, Ms Watson has relied on crusing to get via, utilizing it as a solution to reconnect with Cam after his passing.
“Sailing has really been the thing that kept me together,” she mentioned.
“It went from something that’s always been so important in my life, but its really been the thing that’s kept me going, to get out on the water with a bunch of people who are some of Cam’s closest mates, it feels like he’s so much a part of what we’re doing.”
She’s additionally been holding busy with the discharge of the movie ‘True Spirit’ based mostly on her crusing journey around the globe, starring Australian actress Teagan Croft and directed by Sydney-born Sarah Spillane.
The movie, obtainable from February 3 on Netflix, includes a credit score in Cam’s reminiscence, one thing that Ms Watson mentioned “means absolutely everything” to her.
After months of mourning, Ms Watson is now working with the Stroke Foundation to induce younger Australians to get their blood strain checked in order that they will keep away from the identical destiny.
More than 27,400 Australians may have a stroke for the primary time in 2023 in keeping with the Stroke Foundation, round one stroke each 19 minutes.
“It’s just not something young people aware of as something we need to watch out for, but its such a simple thing we can do around getting our blood pressure checked,” she mentioned.
According to the Stroke Foundation, the variety of strokes would almost be minimize in half (48 per cent) if hypertension was eradicated.
“I cannot stress enough the importance of having regular blood pressure checks to firstly identify if you have high blood pressure, and then work with your GP on ways to reduce your blood pressure and control it.” Stroke Foundation chief govt Sharon McGowan mentioned.
Ms Watson mentioned that there was no “silver lining” in her advocating for younger Aussies to examine on their well being, however that she was doing it in Cam’s reminiscence.
“For me, I can‘t not talk about him, he’s so much a part of who I am.”
“It‘s so horrific what’s happened and the impact it’s had on everyone so to anything that you can do to help prevent that happening for others…and its just a way of honouring him”
Originally revealed as ‘Horrific’: Jess Watson’s reveals subsequent marketing campaign after shedding associate to a stroke
