AustLit

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)