Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration – Bournemouth University

Geoff Holt, a pioneering yachtsman and inspirational charity and business leader has been awarded an Honorary Degree by Bournemouth University (BU) in recognition of his courage and resilience in rebuilding his life after being paralysed at the age of 18.

Having already sailed across the Atlantic three times and completed several solo voyages, a diving accident left him paralysed from the chest down.

Forced to rethink his life and career, Geoff retrained in business and went on to lead a senior level career in marketing for the accountancy firm, Deloitte. It would be another seven years before he returned to the water, but he went on to become the first quadriplegic to sail solo across the Atlantic Ocean. The 3,000-mile voyage was completed in a specially adapted catamaran, aptly named ‘Impossible Dream’.

Having rediscovered the transformative power of the ocean, Geoff set out to provide other disabled people with similar opportunities. Today he is the founder and leader of Wetwheels, a charity that provides fully accessible powerboating experiences for disabled people.

In the 40 years since his accident, Geoff has gathered a host of accolades including an MBE for services to disabled sailing, a BBC South Sports Personality of the Year award and the Stelios Award for Disabled Entrepreneurs. He continues to support and empower others, including through ongoing associations with the RNLI and RYA Sailability.

After the ceremony Geoff said: “I was completely taken aback at first and then it dawned on me that you don’t get an Honorary Doctorate every day of the week, so it was a tremendous honour. It’s just wonderful to be recognised not just for me but for my wife too who is part of my team.”

Geoff credits his achievements to his wife Elaine, whom he met while she was working as a nurse at the hospital where he was treated following his accident. Having left the hospital hand in hand, he says her ongoing support has enabled him to tackle challenges ranging from attending early morning business meetings to taking on epic sailing adventures.

A powerful example of resilience in action, Geoff’s advice to students is to focus on what you can change, rather than get bogged down in what you can’t saying: “To use a nautical metaphor, it’s about the journey. Things change at sea, the weather changes, the sea state changes and that can be said about the world we live in. Things change, and you have to be able to adapt.”

Geoff received his Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration at BU’s graduation ceremony held at the Bournemouth International Centre on 6 November.