A triple amputee former British soldier is training to become the first para sailor to sail across the Pacific Ocean solo.<br /><br />Craig Wood, 33, has been living on a 41ft boat with his fiancé, Renata, and their two toddlers, Amaru, three and Madeira, 18-months-old, since 2017.<br /><br />Now he's training to spend 80 days sailing 6,000 nautical miles from Mexico to Japan to raise money for charity.<br /><br />He lost both of his legs and his left hand in an IED blast whilst serving in Afghanistan in 2009 - describing life as "very difficult" in the years after.<br /><br />A keen windsurfer before the blast and after being encouraged by his mum to "live life again", Craig decided to take up sailing.<br /><br />He was taught how to steer with his prosthetics and now has a specially adapted 41ft catamaran called Sirius II.<br /><br />His Pacific Ocean odyssey came off the back of "an itch to break a world record."<br /><br />Planning to set off in January 2025 from La Paz, Mexico, Craig has given himself a two-month window when the weather is favourable.<br /><br />Craig and his family have so far been to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Jamaica and more.<br /><br />Craig, a former soldier originally from Doncaster, said: "I've been getting an itch for a while to do something big and break a world record. <br /><br />"I thought with sailing it'd be an easy one for me to break but I decided I didn't want it to be easy. <br /><br />"I thought Japan would be a good trip. <br /><br />"But now it's turned into this mind-altering challenge that is making people realise that although I'm disabled I can still partake in a sport that everybody finds difficult."<br /><br />Craig lost his legs and left hand whilsts on a routine foot patrol in Afghanistan in 2009.<br /><br />He stepped on an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) after stopping for a water break and immediately blacked out.<br /><br />Upon returning from Afghanistan, Craig says getting used to life without the use of his legs and hand was "difficult."<br /><br />He said: "Being told you can't do certain things and that realisation that it was true was very difficult. <br /><br />"My mum put me on the right track. She told me I can try to live my life again or keep crying.<br /><br />"Being in the wheelchair was probably the hardest.<br /><br />"It opened up a whole new world to me about accessibility issues. <br /><br />"Getting into places, getting into a car etc."<br /><br />Craig, who two children, three and one, wasn't sure he would be able to partake in sailing but decided to give it a go.<br /><br />He said: "I thought I'd be able to partake in it but as a passenger more so than the person in charge. I didn't realise it would be at the capacity I'm at now.<br /><br />"When I first started my sailing with disabilities I was in a boat where you steer with your feet and pull the ropes with your hands. <br /><br />"But I couldn't do that so I had to street with my left arm prosthetic and use my right arm to pull the ropes - it was very difficult.
