I have always encouraged other disabled people to be adventurous and try things like sailing or cycling.

I firmly believe they can do it because if they have the will, there is a way.

I have just come back from an amazing adventure myself – whale watching in the Azores.

It’s something I’d always wanted to do and particularly to see a blue whale, the biggest creature on earth.

Since my brain injury, and becoming visually impaired and physically disabled, I thought it was not going to be possible and I’d never do it.

But because I know that another brain haemorrhage would probably kill me I’ve been living life to the full, living every day as if it’s my last.

Booking a flight from Stansted to the Azores, which is in the middle of the Atlantic, I really thought I must be mad.

Not only was going out on the boats going to be difficult with my lack of mobility, balance and bad eyesight, I have also never travelled on my own since suffering my injury.

Now I’m back and I really can hardly believe I did it. It was fantastic.

I was chuffed to bits just to have managed to get to Stansted airport and catch the plane.

Having promised my friends and family that I wouldn’t take any unnecessary risks, I spent a week walking with my stick along narrow cobbled pavements in the town of Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel island with car and van drivers were hurtling past me like maniacs. I was glad just to survive that.

Then came walking along the wobbling pontoons in the marina and getting on rigid hull inflatable boats.

I did stumble on one occasion and was more or less thrown onto the boat by a crew member who caught me.

All that was before we even left the shelter of the harbour for the open ocean.

I never used to get seasick before my brain injury but I wasn’t sure whether I would now.

Luckily, unlike some of my friends on the trip, I did not get sick but the bouncing around and crashing waves and howling wind was a huge challenge for me.

For most of the group it was a relatively short walk back to the hotel after we came back to the harbour but for me I found I was so exhausted I had to get a taxi every time because I could barely walk.

After a few blank trips the weather improved and we began to see lots of dolphins and on the penultimate day we had an amazing experience seeing six Finback Whales – the second biggest creature on earth.

The trip would not have been possible without the amazing help of the staff at Whale and Dolphin Connection (UK)and the Futurismo in the Azores.

Whenever I wanted to move across the deck to look out to sea, one of the staff would grab me by the arm and lead me across the moving deck making sure I had a good handhold and was safe and comfortable.

It would’ve been so difficult without them but as it was I fulfilled one of my dreams and had a fantastic time.

Don’t be deterred by your disability. Get out there and do it! I’m definitely going again.