Even today in our modern, fast-paced world dreams – sometimes – do come true. This was the case when Oceans of Hope, the 20-metre yacht undertaking the first global circumnavigation crewed by people living with MS, sailed into Copenhagen Harbour on 15^th November. It was the end of a truly ground-breaking voyage and an inspiring story from day one.

It is a story about courage in the face of the unknown and the unpredictable. A story about a committed team, a committed company, and a committed community all with the same vision – a vision of changing the perceptions and raising awareness of life with MS. Ultimately, it is also a story about changing the lives of those people involved with Oceans of Hope, giving them a strong sense of identity, hope, team-spirit and the excitement and thrill of taking on the unpredictable winds, weather and waves of our world’s great Oceans.

It is a voyage and a story however, which would not have been possible without the vision of Mikkel Anthonisen, a Danish doctor and psychotherapist and the founding father of the Sailing Sclerosis Foundation. It would also not have been possible without the support of Biogen, who shared and embraced this passion and vision of going the extra-mile to change the lives of people living with MS for the better.

Having skippered the yacht during sections of the voyage, Mikkel Anthonisen had this to say about the initiative and his experiences:

“We have now come to the end of our round-the-world journey and it has been an incredible experience where the yacht and crew have been met with open arms by the sailing world, the MS world and the public in general. Our inspirational MS crews have made an emphatic contribution to changing the perceptions of what it means to live with a chronic disease. Many peoples’ lives have been changed for the better as their hopes and dreams have been restored in a meaningful way by either taking up sailing again or experiencing it for the first time. We have sown important seeds of hope around the world, seeds that are now growing.”

Mads Tobias Hansen, 37, a Danish crewmember who was diagnosed with MS in 2008, and who took part in several legs of the voyage, said for him, this voyage was about recapturing his identity.

”Nature is ruthless and at sea we’re all equal. This journey is about being part of a community working together for a common goal where everyone has a part to play. Being part of a crew has made me feel a part of something important. I think what I have discovered on this journey is that you can exist as a man and as a human being and assert yourself and have an impact despite of having MS. You can rebuild your spine, stand up straight and find a new identity – and I found that in sailing and in nature.”

The Oceans of Hope voyage, which disembarked from Copenhagen on 15^th July, 2014, took on more than five hundred people from thirty different ports around the world. Of these five hundred, one hundred took part in the Oceanic legs of the voyage – experiencing the beauty of sailing with dolphins, watching breath-taking sunsets but also experiencing the brutality and the raw strength of nature. While some had the thrill of powerful storms while crossing the Atlantic Ocean and the Tasman Sea, others sailed through the calms of the tropics, while others still experienced the beauty and tranquillity of the seas around the Nordics. Irrespective of which leg, all crewmembers were active participants on this voyage involved in navigating the yacht, trimming the sails and cooking meals.

Johanna Friedl-Naderer, Senior Vice-President and Head of Biogen Europe and Canada, mirrored these sentiments saying that, “This has been an incredible, inspirational voyage and story. I was thrilled to hear about some of the various legs and the sights, experiences and challenges of the Oceans of Hope crewmembers. I am extremely proud of their achievement and am delighted Biogen was able to be involved and help make this dream come true. At Biogen we strive to bring meaningful and life-changing benefits to our patients. This is through our products, and also by working hand-in-hand with the patients we serve. I congratulate Oceans of Hope for this unique, ground-breaking achievement. What a great success for the Sailing Sclerosis Foundation and for the MS community at large!”

The completion of the world circumnavigation marks an end, but also a beginning. The Sailing Sclerosis Foundation has never been stronger than it is now. According to Mikkel Anthonisen, the vision for the future is to continue the work by empowering and nurturing these grassroots initiatives. By creating inclusive communities for marginalized groups of people through sailing activities, “We want to continue to be pioneers of a new approach to health, which combines sailing with empowerment, rehabilitation, treatment and education and which puts the human being first.”

Further information about the project can be found at Facebook www.facebook.com/OceansofHope and Twitter @SailSclerosis