About Geoff Holt
Yachtsman, Ambassador & Motivational Speaker
Geoff was paralysed in a swimming accident in 1984 and uses a wheelchair. In 1995 he became the inaugural Chairman of RYA Sailability. In 2007 he became the first disabled person to sail single-handed around Great Britain. In 2009 he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean unassisted. He was awarded an MBE for “Services to Disabled Sailing” in 2010 and named ‘Yachtsman of the Year’ shortly after. He was made a Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire in 2012. He is a Council member of the RNLI. He is patron and ambassador for several charities for people with disabilities.
Geoff has 20 years experience in marketing & PR working for international accountancy firms Deloitte & Coopers & Lybrand. He holds a degree in Antiques and Auctioneering. He is the author of ‘Walking on Water’ and is a professional speaker. He is the founder of Wetwheels, an organisation that takes disabled people to sea in purpose-built, fully accessible motor boats.
Geoff’s News
Latest News
Wetwheels Texas?
Now home from our trip to Galveston/Houston (Texas) to investigate interest in taking Wetwheels to the USA, I thought I would share our week in the...
Rotary Spectacular
I always enjoy my Rotary talks, especially the large conferences. Last week I was in Llandudno in North West Wales for the Rotary NW & Isle of...
Southampton Boat Show Success
I can't remember exactly but on dead-reckoning, this was approximately my 30th boat show in Southampton. This year was extra special because, not...
Geoff’s Social
Latest Videos
Latest Tweets
Great post. Can I suggest you watch my short video on this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhgiDyyTVjQ&t=212s
While shielding will be eased from the 6 July, it still presents many challenges for disabled people and their families.
"We haven’t been able to go outside, not even for food shopping or to see anyone outside of our household."👇
https://community.scope.org.uk/discussion/71933/navigating-through-lockdown
Join me live at 10am this morning in conversation with JunoHollyhock, CEO of @Rose_Road https://www.facebook.com/events/856701778158202/
Join me live at 10am this morning in conversation with JunoHollyhock, CEO of @Rose_Road https://www.facebook.com/events/856701778158202/
A must listen for @spinalinjuries @bbcouch @martynsibley @johnpringdns @RNLI @ReeveFoundation @theyachtmarket @SpinalResearch
Paraplegic Sailor Geoff Holt MBE DL (@WetWheels) warns the public not to take risks in the water.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p08fvyh3
Latest Posts
Good to see some positive news from Hong Kong www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3091896/anyone-can-sail-disabled-elderly-and-poor-make-most-...
Disabled, elderly and poor make most of Sailability coaching programme
www.scmp.com
Launched in 2009 by Mike and Kay Rawbone, the Sailability foundation offers diverse groups of people the chance to learn how to sail.Always good to know who is the other end of the Zoom call..! The awesome Ed StaffordGetting ready for this afternoon’s #podcast with my old mate Geoff Holt MBE @wetwheelssolent. #DangerousMinds 😎👊🏻
Really sad to report the death of Angela Madsen, 3 x Paralympian and ocean rower. I first exchanged emails with Angela 10 years ago when she rowed the Atlantic and needed contacts in Cape Verde to help with her Sat phone battery. I later met Angela when she rowed around the UK. She has sadly passed away, doing what she loved, rowing solo across the Pacific. A true inspiration. www.rowoflife.org Sarah Outen Roz Savage
www.rowoflife.org
WE ARE HEARTBROKENAngela Madsen, 3x Paralympian and Marine Veteran who aimed to be the first paraplegic and oldest woman to row the Pacific Ocean, was declared dead by the Coast Guard at 11pm PST on Monday, June 22, 2020.She had been at sea completely alone for 60 days. She rowed 1,114 nautical mil...That stomach-churning fear every public speaker feels right before speaking to group of kids..!
Testimonials
Some Kind Words About Geoff’s Work
“Exposing our R&D staff to new ideas and challenging accepted thinking is part of our continuing commitment to be innovation leaders. Your insights and personal story were an inspiration to all who attended.”
“Geoff had the whole audience fully engaged – he was highly professional and motivating and we would recommend him to anyone looking for a fantastic speaker.”
“His story is truly inspirational and really caught the imagination of the whole room. His drive, spirit and determination, delivered in a very factual way, had the whole audience mesmerised for the whole session.”