Ocean To Cross

The inspiring tale of a voyage across the Atlantic

Paralyzed from the chest down when she was thrown from a horse,Liz might have sunk into a twilight of self-pity but for her indomitable spirit. She met and eventually married Pete Fordred,who had been paralyzed in a car accident. With no prospects in the beleaguered Rhodesia of 1980,they formed a crazy plan: to build a boat and sail around the world. That they were broke,were disabled,had never sailed,and lived 1,000 miles from the ocean in a country where boat equipment was almost impossible to obtain wouldn't stop them.

An Ocean to Cross is a tale of courage,self-empowerment,and ultimate triumph. Liz Fordred's most eloquent answers to a storm of nay-saying were her seemingly inexhaustible reservoirs of fortitude and optimism,and an amazing marriage that grew stronger with each new obstacle. This good-humored and forthright narrative tells the inspiring story of how she and Pete worked tirelessly together to rebuild their lives against all odds,and ultimately sailed to a new life in America.

"Life is about how you respond to not only the challenges you're dealt but the challenges you seek. . . If you have no goals,no mountains to climb,your sould dies. " - Liz Fordred.

"A story to inspire the disabled,and in fact all people,to dream and set sights well past their comfort zone. "

—Christopher Reeve
"A spirited story of adventure. . . . Highly inspiring. "

—Kirkus Reviews,starred review It was an extraordinary dreamfueled by hope and courage. Liz Fordred and her husband,Pete,both paraplegic,living in landlocked Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe),and with no sailing experience,made the unlikely decision to build a boat,haul it 1,200 miles to the South African coast,and set sail alone to see the world.

Their plan seemed impossible,the obstacles insurmountable. They had only time,the gift of laughter,an unstoppable resolve,and each other. After years of labor,their struggle to reclaim lives of purpose and adventure—lives lived without limits—launched them into the vast Atlantic. They had the whole world before them—and somewhere in it a new home and a new life were waiting to be claimed. . . . An Ocean to Cross is an inspiring story of courage,self-reliance,and triumph.
"A remarkable tale of determination and ingenuity. "

—Library Journal