Indian Ocean record-breakers Hilary Lister and Nashwa Al Kindi have held students across Oman in awe with their inspirational tales of sailing and their ambitions to carve their own slices of history.

The students, aged between ten and 16, watched and listened in admiration while the women entertained them with the remarkable stories of their voyage that has now earned them two unique world records.

The talks were part of a roadshow scheduled around the historic voyage from Mumbai to Muscat, which was powered by Oman Sail and sponsored by Mistal – Ajit Khimji Group and United Engineering Services, with support from Oman Air, GAC Pindar, Harken, Ocean Safety and Raymarine.

Some of the school visits took place before the girls set off and others after they completed it. The talks were designed to inspire the youth of Oman and encourage them to strive to achieve the things in life they most desire as both Lister and Al Kindi have done.

Schools taking part in the roadshow were the Royal Guard of Oman School, the Sultan School, the American International School of Muscat and the British School Muscat.

Oman Sail dinghy instructor Al Kindi proudly spoke of how the voyage from Mumbai in India to Muscat in a 28ft Dragonfly had earned her the honour of becoming the first Arab female sailor to make a trans-oceanic crossing.

“I am so proud of what we have done because I only started sailing three years ago but in that short time have accomplished so much, just by holding a dream and putting the pieces in place one by one to fulfill it,” said Al Kindi, 32.

“This just proves that if you want something enough, it is possible to achieve it and I hope the youngsters in Oman can use my experience to achieve what they want to achieve.”

Lister, the British sailor who suffers from a degenerative disease – Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy – and is paralysed from the neck down, spoke about how she was able to sail the boat using her specially adapted ‘sip and puff’ system to control the sails and steering. Her record as the first severely paralysed woman to make a trans-oceanic crossing came on top of the solo round Britain disabled record she set in 2009.

“Before they set off on their journey, Nashwa and Hilary talked about their passion for sailing and how they thought they would achieve their goals in crossing the Indian Ocean,” said Dharmesh A. Khimji, Managing Director of Mistal – Ajit Khimji Group.

“That in itself was exciting but hearing them after they returned to Oman with these unique achievements under their belts is something everyone, especially our youngsters, should share. Their courage, determination and endeavour inspire all of us to want to go out and make a difference.”