Renee Godress is joining the Making Waves Foundation Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race crew to step outside her comfort zone, rebuild confidence and challenge assumptions about what is possible for someone who is blind.

The race was never something Renee imagined herself doing. When Making Waves offered her a place aboard Kayle, she considered the enormity of the opportunity — and chose to say yes.

Renee first discovered sailing through Making Waves’ Handle to Helm program with Guide Dogs NSW/ACT. Without sight, she relies on sound, touch, movement and instinct to understand the boat, and is now learning how those skills can make her an active and valuable member of the crew.

Renee hopes the experience will show that blindness may change how she approaches a challenge, but not whether she can take it on. She wants to build her own self-belief while encouraging others, particularly people with vision impairment, to pursue ambitions they may have once thought were out of reach.