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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
The Remarkable Story of David Pescud and His Fight for Survival in a Sea of Words.
This is the story of David Pescud, a remarkable Australian. At age eight David Pescud was caned for "refusing" to read. At 13 he watched as his father drowned while trying to rescue him from a swollen river. At 16 he was suicidal. At 17 he was diagnosed with profound dyslexia, a condition that made reading impossible. What happened after that was extraordinary.
He went from being an illiterate "failure" to managing several successful businesses. At 44 he had earned enough to retire and pursue his dream of sailing full-time. Then came another turning point. He heard about a paraplegic man who wanted to do the Sydney to Hobart ocean race but couldn't find anyone to take him.
Sailors With Disabilities was born, and today the organisation enables thousands of people with disabilities to experience as David did the beauty of the water. In the nightmare 1999 race, David's team - which included an amputee, a blind man and a 12-year-old dyslexic boy - survived the horrific storm and won their category.
What drives David Pescud is a passionate belief that disability is a state of mind. "Most people can't sail," he says. "Does that make them disabled?"
'Life Without Limits' is a testament to the value of that belief.
(Source: cover)
Affiliation Notes
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Writing Disability in Australia:
Type of disability Profound dyslexia; blindness, amputated limb. Type of character Primary and secondary. Point of view First person (autobiographical).
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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Smoother Sailing Now for Those with Disabilities
2003
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 21 June 2003; (p. 5a)
— Review of Life Without Limits : The David Pescud Story 2003 single work biography -
Spring Reading
2003
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , October no. 255 2003; (p. 61-62)
— Review of Love Letters from a War : The Letters of Corporal John Leslie Johnson and His Family, June 1940 - May 1941 2003 single work biography ; Christmas Island, Indian Ocean : A Fascinating First Hand Account of Life in Australia's Most Isolated Territory 2003 single work autobiography ; Life Without Limits : The David Pescud Story 2003 single work biography ; Driven By Ideas: The Story of Arthur Bishop, a Great Australian Inventor 2003 single work biography ; Tumble Turns : An Autobiography 1999 single work autobiography ; Remember When: Reflections on a Changing Australia 2003 single work essay -
Miscellany
2003
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 9-10 August 2003; (p. 12)
— Review of Life Without Limits : The David Pescud Story 2003 single work biography
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Miscellany
2003
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian , 9-10 August 2003; (p. 12)
— Review of Life Without Limits : The David Pescud Story 2003 single work biography -
Spring Reading
2003
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Book Review , October no. 255 2003; (p. 61-62)
— Review of Love Letters from a War : The Letters of Corporal John Leslie Johnson and His Family, June 1940 - May 1941 2003 single work biography ; Christmas Island, Indian Ocean : A Fascinating First Hand Account of Life in Australia's Most Isolated Territory 2003 single work autobiography ; Life Without Limits : The David Pescud Story 2003 single work biography ; Driven By Ideas: The Story of Arthur Bishop, a Great Australian Inventor 2003 single work biography ; Tumble Turns : An Autobiography 1999 single work autobiography ; Remember When: Reflections on a Changing Australia 2003 single work essay -
Smoother Sailing Now for Those with Disabilities
2003
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 21 June 2003; (p. 5a)
— Review of Life Without Limits : The David Pescud Story 2003 single work biography