JOHN CARTER QUESTIONS
JC – Can you remember what happened the day you had the stroke in Mauritius?
DW – I couldn’t remember the second it happened, but a few minutes later I was hanging onto my board with my head bobbing up and down and I had no feeling in my right arm and leg, but had no idea what was going on. About 40 minutes passed when a kitesurfer found me and pulled me up to his kite, then it was 20 minutes before a boat came, they didn’t want to take me initially as they thought I was dead, so I had to try and wave my arms so they knew I was alive.
JC – Do you feel lucky to be alive…anything could have happened when you blacked out on the water?
DW – Yes I am lucky to be alive, but also if I had gone I wouldn’t have known. All I have to say about that is I have gone over my nine lives.
JC – Do you remember hanging onto your board out in the channel while waiting to be rescued? What were you thinking, or was everything a blank?
DW – Yes I remember it. It wasn’t blank, but I was thinking why is my arm not working. My head was facing my left hand and my right hand was under the water.
JC – How tough was it being stuck in the hospital in Mauritius for two weeks?
DW – Tough in one way and easy in another. Tough thing was I couldn’t speak to anybody and tell them what I wanted, but in my head I knew everything. It was hard, as the doctors didn’t realize I was fine in my head. The easy bit was that I had a beautiful view of the ocean from my bed.
JC – How did it feel when you finally made it home to the UK?
DW – Very excited, I wanted to go straight home but had to spend 10 days in hospital to get checked over. They wanted me to go to a London hospital because they didn’t think I understood anything, but we managed to persuade them I was ok, as Sally and the kids knew I understood everything.
JC – How determined have you been in the recovery process?
DW – Anyone who knows me will know I am a very determined person, but it will be a long time to recover and not happen overnight. There have been a few times when I thought I might not recover, but they were short lived.
JC – Do you know if you will make a full recovery and be able to windsurf or are you taking matters step by step
DW – I don’t know the answer to that, but what I have is determination and support that will help me recover. I have held a kite with one hand on the land and it feels good, the next thing is to go on the water. Once I have more movement in my right hand I will start to hold a windsurf sail, but that will still be a short time from now. Taking each day as it comes.
JC – We heard you are back behind the camera now, how does that feel to be doing one of your passions again?
DW – That was because of my occupational therapist and her determination. We had the camera altered, but I still wasn’t sure I had it until I got behind the camera. Fortunately I had two good friends, Jonathan Bradford and Sara from Result Clothing, who encouraged me to start taking pictures. They didn’t want a lot of pictures to start with, but I hope they will be there in the future.
JC – Has surviving this ordeal brought you closer to your family and friends?
DW – Not really, as we are a close family anyway and I can get the children to do extra things for me, and as for friends we are very lucky we have some close ones who have been amazing, that said friends I have all over the world have been fantastic and they keep in touch.
JC – What has been the toughest mental and physical challenge over the last year?
DW – The toughest mental challenge is my speech. As you know I like to talk a lot, but actually the toughest thing is not being able to write it down. The toughest physical challenge is the movement in my hand, but it’s getting there.
JC – You always were a guy that went at every challenge 100 % full power. After the stroke are you taking it slightly easier now?
DW – No, but the tiredness gets the better of me. However in my head I can go 100% full power. The rest periods are getting shorter day by day.
JC – How has surviving these major illnesses changed your outlook on life?
DW – It hasn’t really. I don’t see them as major incidents. Unless I die, I just see it as another challenge. I have always lived each day making sure I have no regrets.
JC – How much support have you had from the windsurfing industry and people you know in the business?
DW – I have had lots of support. But everyone has their different ways of approaching it. Some people keep away because they feel they don’t want to intrude on my recovery, but I have also had lots of visits and phone calls. Also everybody reacts differently to it. John Skye is someone who I talk to weekly and has been a big part of my recovery.
JC – How have you managed to stay so positive during the last year?
DW – I don’t even know, but I have. Only twice have I ever been depressed about it, but even that only lasted half an hour.
JC – Have you been keeping an eye on the windsurfing scene while being off the water?
DW – Yes, all the time. I stream every PWA event and always check the results of the British series. This year I want to personally get to the beach and watch the action. I managed to get to the slalom in Hayling Island.
JC – We heard you are able to drive again now. How does that feel to have your independence back?
DW – When I wasn’t able to drive, I had a mobility scooter, which I got from Greeny (Nik Green), so I could be independent. I remember when I first got in the scooter I could hardy walk, I just sat there. My car just means I can go out even further.
