Personal Profile
Fifteen years ago Em joined a law firm in the City of London and began an eight year battle with
the London Underground. Aged 32, and in search of an adventure, she crossed her first ocean
and has never looked back!
After completing her first circumnavigation of the globe overland exploring all corners of the
world from North America to Australia and Asia, a continent full of diversity and challenges -
especially for a blonde - she entered the City and a future in banking law. A move to the Middle
East confirmed that she would not be content to drive a desk for long and she entered her first
transatlantic yacht race. After a successful first place Em joined Sir Chay Blyth’s Challenge
Business as a professional sailor with races and tours throughout Europe and the Caribbean.
Her experience skippering and instructing on large racing yachts is extensive. Em is also a
skipper for the children’s cancer charity, the Ellen MacArthur Trust.
Sadly, aged just 36, Em was diagnosed with breast cancer whilst heading to the start line of a
transatlantic yacht race she was to skipper. She returned home for a life-saving mastectomy but
continued to skipper, race and instruct throughout her soul destroying chemo- and radiotherapy
treatment in a desperate bid to help her feel alive. She did return to skipper that, almost illusive,
transatlantic yacht race exactly a year later - determined not to be beaten. She has since had a
prophylactic mastectomy followed by bi-lateral reconstructive surgery. Em has written an
inspirational and candid account of her experience fighting breast cancer entitled “Beating the
Blowfish” published in October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
With around 100,000 nautical miles, to include many of the world’s ocean, 15 transatlantic
crossings, the Sydney-Hobart yacht race, the Newport to Bermuda yacht race and the infamous
Fastnet race tucked safely under her belt she continues to battle the elements as she did her breast
cancer.
To date her daunting battle has been won.
