Jasmine Prince was involved in a horrific car accident in 2018 that curved her spine, leaving her registered disabled and with scoliosis at just 18-years-old.
Despite having withdrawn into herself following the crash, when an opportunity arose last year for Jasmine to indulge in her passion for sailing in the form of a trip across the Atlantic, she couldn’t resist.
Setting sail with her dad, stepmum and nine other complete strangers, Jasmine embarked on a journey that has left her with a newfound verve for life.
Jasmine, originally from Chester, Cheshire, has been out on the waves since she was 12 years old when her dad and stepmum – both avid sailors themselves – began taking her on sailing holidays.
However, her car crash and the world coming to a halt thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic meant Jasmine’s hobby had all but died out come 2022.
When her mother approached her with an offer to sail the Atlantic, to dust off the cobwebs of lockdown though, Jasmine jumped at the chance.
So on 20 November, Jasmine set sail, along with her dad, stepmum, and nine complete strangers – all crammed together in one boat.
Jasmine said: “We had no information about the people we were sailing with. We didn’t know their names, we knew nothing about them.
“You just thought ‘Right, I hope this person’s nice because I’m stuck with them for a month.’
“I was very lucky that they were. They were lovely. We were joined by a Russian oligarch accountant, a film director, a doctor and a detective.
“Most of my fellow crew were just a bit bored with their lives and wanted a challenge. My motivation ran deeper.
“I needed to prove to myself that I could once again be adventurous and fearless after my accident.”
All 11 people shared one room to sleep in on tiny bunk beds, with Jasmine explaining: “You’re stacked on top of each other. One person snored, he was a farmer, and he snored an awful lot.”
However, even with Jasmine’s prior sailing experience, the sea swells took their toll.
She said: “The seasickness at the beginning was so awful that I genuinely wanted to swim back to shore.
“That lasted for about three days. And you’re still having to cook, you’re still having to eat, you’re still having to manage the boat, so that was very hard to do.
“You lose all dignity. You don’t care about people being sick or anything like that. It all just becomes very animalistic.”
A limited supply of fresh water also meant that those on board could only shower every three days.
Jasmine said: “We didn’t wash our hair for the whole time because that was too much water.
One moment Jasmine recalls is when, 500 miles from land, she leapt into the water to swim with the whole crew – leaving the boat unmanned and still moving.
She said: “We were in the middle of the ocean, and we all jumped in. Even though it was a very still day, the boat was still moving at quite some speed.
“You’re having to swim to keep up with it. It gave you such appreciation for the ocean, that even in those moments where your boat is right next to you how quickly things could go wrong.
“When I came home it was so weird that the bed wasn’t rocking. I’ve had cases in the past where I’ve gone onto a solid bed and fallen out of it since I’m so used to the boat moving.
Jasmine said: “It’s shaped who I am now and made me realise that life is very short.
“I think having the pain levels for such a long time made me a lot more confident…and it’s made me realise I’m very strong.
“I was working on the boat just as well as people who were male, 6’2″, and going to the gym every week.
“I would encourage others to take a leap and challenge yourself to something extraordinary.
“You might just surprise yourself.”
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