Are you a land or sea-type person?
For Sam Smith, the answer is as clear as the beaches in Whitsunday Islands.
As a toddler Sam, who is non-verbal and autistic, was quite unsettled and screamed a lot. This made it difficult for his parents, Joanne and Adam Smith, to take him out in public for long periods.
This all changed after a spur-of-the-moment decision to rent a tinnie boat while on a holiday to Noosa when Sam was four years old.
“We just couldn’t cope with him in the hotel room and he didn’t want to go to the pool or be around other people,” Joanne said.
“As soon as we got on the water, Sam just settled, and our family life became more relaxing.”
“We stopped at a little beach and nobody was judging us. We could sit and relax and let him be himself without the normal everyday barriers. It was the most amazing thing.”
It was from that day that Sam’s love affair with sailing began. This set in motion a chain of events that would lead the Smith family to sell their home and business, buy a catamaran and set sail, all of which was documented in Against the Tide, a documentary produced and filmed by Sam’s sister, Lauren-Ann.
The island-hopping adventure took them up and down the Queensland coast for three years— from the Gold Coast to Lizard Island.
Lauren-Ann said the trip helped Sam to become more independent and learn better ways to communicate.
“Sam was happier overall,” she said.
“He was in a good mood most days and there were fewer moments of frustration where he would get upset and lash out.
“He also grew more independent along the way, communicating if he wanted or didn’t want something more clearly.
“I saw many more moments where Sam would partake in family time. He would laugh along with us as we bantered and he seemed more engaged, which was so lovely to see.”
She said the trip helped her family forge an unbreakable bond and instilled a fearlessness in them to follow their dreams.
“All of us as a family are now very brave. We’re risk-takers,” Lauren-Ann said.
You can achieve great things even with great challenges. What is important in life are the moments with the ones you love.
Back on the coast, Sam was dearly missed by his friends at Noosaville (Wallace Park) Learning and Lifestyle (L&L) hub, which Sam attended before setting sail with his family on their biggest adventure.
To her excitement, Site Manager, Julie Elford, saw the trip’s lasting efforts on Sam who is now more independent and open to new experiences.
“There was a period where Sam didn’t want to go out or try new activities and he became increasingly frustrated trying to communicate what he wanted,” she said.
“Now, Sam is more likely to participate in group events and new activities.”
“He also does more tasks by himself, makes more choices, participates in various community activities and has better mobility by participating in exercise activities.”
Although back on land, the ocean is never too far away, with the family regularly spending weekends on the water and the hub’s offering of sailing, swimming and fishing activities.
The documentary Against the Tide had its premiere screening earlier this year at HOTA (Home of the Arts) on the Gold Coast, which received an overwhelmingly positive response.
Now, it is being entered into festivals across Australia and worldwide. If you would like to keep up to date on upcoming screenings near you, you can register for notifications on the Against the Tide documentary website.
Watch the teaser trailer below (1 min):
News
View all
Director Election Expression of Interest
Are you in email overload?
Grant funding brings new life to Alex Hills L&L
BRACE proposed changes
Fire Services – Chubb Fire & Security is our new provider
