Written by Mandie Cran, a pioneering sailor who was once only one of nine women serving in an army corps of 15,000 men.
My father was a Naval pilot, sailor and inventor so mealtimes were spent discussing various inventions he was working on.
From a very young age I learned about how things worked – from clocks to engines spending hours with him in his workshop.
We grew up in the Channel Islands, so boats were all around us. When I was 12, he bought a yacht so we could spend the summer sailing around Brittany, and I learnt all I could from him.
A father’s attitude to his daughter influences the whole of her life, he never once said to me ‘you can’t do that – you’re a girl’, it simply wouldn’t have occurred to him.
It was therefore a huge shock to be told by my brother when I was 13 that I didn’t need to know knots because I was a girl – a prejudice he’d clearly picked up at school and I’d like to add he is now reformed and totally supportive!
That was when I decided no one was going to stop me doing things; at the age of 19 I qualified as an RYA Yachtmaster Offshore able to skipper yachts up to 60 miles offshore – the youngest in the UK at the time.
I was a very quiet and shy child; I was always ignored at school and the wallflower at social events.
Mandie Cran
Later I decided to join the Army as an engineering officer which brought a massive shift in perception.
I was a very quiet and shy child; I had little interest in dolls or makeup and I was always ignored at school and the wallflower at social events.
But, as one of nine women in a corps of 15,000 men, l loved being different. In my 34 years in the Army, I only encountered two really misogynistic people.
I was often tested, but once you had proved yourself in the job, you were treated with respect. I learnt early on that the soldiers didn’t care what sex you were as long as you looked after them and knew what you were doing; so I looked after them and they looked after me in return.
I always strove to do the same as everyone else and always passed the fitness test at the men’s standard. I was a keen orienteer, running competitively for many years which was my favourite way of keeping fit.
The crew were normally all men, and much stronger physically than me (I am 5’3”) but the sea doesn’t care.
Mandie Cran
Joining the army as a fully qualified skipper meant that I was in high demand for long expeditions.
The crew were normally all men, and much stronger physically than me (I am 5’3”) but the sea doesn’t care; it is your skills and experience that matter and that is wonderfully freeing.
Suddenly, I could be the real me and not the wallflower of my teenage years, growing massively in confidence and self-belief on many very challenging expeditions.
In 1995 I was bringing a 55’ yacht back from Canada to the UK in early winter in a force 10 and we had a leak we couldn’t find, water was coming in steadily; I was at my lowest point that night – utterly exhausted, freezing cold, wet and seasick, but I knew the crew were relying on me to get them home, that was when I had to dig really deep and found a mental strength I never knew I had.
When you leave the shore behind and sail over the horizon, you leave behind the restrictions and artificial boundaries in society
Mandie Cran
When you leave the shore behind and sail over the horizon, you leave behind the restrictions and artificial boundaries in society and can be yourself, this is when women’s natural skills really come to the fore.
Our intuition and mental strength mean we pick up on subtleties much quicker than men and are much more in tune with the world around us. In short, we are better at building a more resilient team.
The cares of the world fall away when you are at sea, with the only sound being the rippling of water past the hull; at night the stars are so bright you can almost touch them and then it is the most peaceful and beautiful place in the world. I started sailing because of my father and it changed my life.
I started sailing because of my father and it changed my life.
Mandie Cran
My father’s unwavering support and belief in my abilities meant I didn’t see myself as any lesser for being female. His encouragement to explore and understand the world around me laid the foundation for my confidence and determination. As evidenced by my own journey, the way a father treats his daughter, the time he invests in her, and the encouragement he provides can shape her entire outlook on life and her capabilities.
To all fathers, I urge you to reflect on the messages you convey to your daughters and be careful not to fall into the stereotyping trap. Just because she’s a girl doesn’t mean she isn’t fascinated by engineering, or mechanics, or sport. Show her all the world, don’t limit it. Your support can be the wind beneath her sails, propelling her towards her dreams and aspirations.
Our guest blogs are written by individuals not affiliated with Women in Sport, and therefore our charity does not necessarily agree with all opinions expressed.
