Quadriplegic yachtswoman who sailed SOLO around the UK miraculously regains some feeling in her limbs

AN inspirational quadriplegic yachtswoman who sailed solo around the UK has miraculously gained limited movement in her limbs. Hilary Lister, who has a degenerative condition that left her paralysed from the neck down, has been recorded moving her arms and one leg. The 44-year-old feeds herself a biscuit and strokes her pet dog, in a video passed to the Sunday Mirror. Hilary has since revealed that she began to regain movement four months ago after a implant designed to provide pain relief triggered sensation in her limbs. The sailor, who used a straw in her mouth to control her boat during her remarkable feat, initially hid the developments from friends and family fearing the limited movement would only be temporary. Hilary told the Sunday Mirror: “There’s no end to my dream of where this could end up. It’s completely ­uncharted territory. As far as I know I’m the first person this has happened to. It is an ­incredible story, but it’s true.” The yachtswoman, nominated for Sports Personality of the Year in 2005, has a rare degenerative condition called reflex sympathetic dystrophy. She was diagnosed with the condition in her teens and gradually lost the use of her limbs. In 2009 Hilary hit headlines after she beat the odds and completed a 14-month journey to become the first female quadriplegic to sail around the UK. Four years earlier she had become the first quadriplegic to sail solo across the Channel. She directed her boat by sucking and blowing on three straws. The video showing her recently gained movement was handed to the Sunday Mirror by a source concerned Hilary had not given a fair account of her condition. But, the sportswoman has explained that limited movement returned after a procedure in 2015. She said: “I have been a quadriplegic since the age of 28 or 29 when I lost the use of my hands. Any suggestion I lied about my capabilities is completely wrong." The procedure saw a implant put into Hilary's spine to help with pain control by activating electrodes. She added: “They turned it on and to everyone’s astonishment it worked. I immediately felt pins and needles in both of my arms and my left leg and twitches where I'd never had anything before. It was like magic." In June this year she began to have trembles of movement and things have gradually progressed. Speaking about her remarkable sailing achievements to a BBC Documentary she had said: “It’s about showing people anyone can live an active life – even somebody who can just move their head.”