By the end of their first trip together, Stephanie, Lily, and Ella had already promised to root for each other no matter where life took them.
The idea of spending a few days on a yacht with people you don't know can be nerve-wrecking. It was Stephanie's main reservation.
"What if you didn't get on with other people? What if you got annoyed with each other? You're in such a small space that you don't know. You won't want to spend three nights on the water with someone you can't stand."
But in the end, she said her relationship with crew mates Lily and Ella was that of a team, formed before they’d even stepped foot on a boat. Ella couldn’t believe how fortunate they’d been.
“I feel like we got really lucky because the minute we got off the second train to get on the ferry, us lot were like – yes! And then we all got put on the same boat.”
For Lily, the responsibilities on board were part of what helped bring them together.
“This is so physical, you’re so confined on this boat. You’ve got to all work together and it’s different from anything else I’ve ever done with any other charity. I think I feel much more bonded, and I trust Stephanie and Ella more than I have anyone else I’ve met with these kinds of experiences."
They set up a group chat so they’ll always be able to support each other even when they’re not on a trip together. Ella said they became a family quicker than they’d ever expected and will look out for one another.
“If one of us feels tired or really bad one day, we can just text each other. Because we know that we’ll all understand. Even if no one at home understands, we will, and we’ve got each other.”
Stephanie ended the trip proud of everything she had gone through with Ella and Lily, empowered by what they were able to do when they all worked together.
“At the beginning of the trip, we made a charter of what we all wanted to achieve. Personal goals and group goals. We’ve completely smashed that list. All of us have done everything that we wanted to without actually knowing we’d done it.”
If you, or someone you know, could benefit from Trust support, or you want to make a difference to young lives after cancer, here's how you can...
