At The Little Optimist Trust, we always say sailing changes lives — but sometimes, it also brings out your inner child! This week, our staff swapped their laptops and life plans for life jackets and laughter as they headed out to Zeekoevlei for a mock sail like no other.

But this wasn’t your average team outing. No, this time, the grown-ups were the kids.

From the moment we stepped into those little boats, something magical happened. Our team — usually busy organizing events, mentoring kids, and running the show behind the scenes — suddenly became the kids we once were: curious, giggling, shouting “Look at me!” as we caught the wind (or, in some cases, fell in the water).

We sailed. We splashed. We laughed until our stomachs hurt. And for a few glorious hours, we let go of everything else and just played.

Why? Because understanding what we ask of the kids we work with — the courage, the excitement, the challenge of learning something new — means walking (or wobbling) in their shoes. Or in this case, their boats.

Zeekoe Vlei Sailing Centre is ready to go and we look forward to having them on board as our new pilot site.

Thank you to the ongoing support from our Sponsors – Two Oceans Marine, Italtile, Southern Wind and Ullman – we couldn’t do this without you!