Pictures: Miss Isle's Natasha Lambert completes her Scottish challenge

Natasha Lambert, who founded the Miss Isle School of Sip and Puff on the Isle of Wight, has finished her Sea and Summit Scotland challenge.

16 August

Natasha Lambert, who has athetoid cerebral palsy, has just completed her latest Mountain, Loch, Lock and Sea challenge in Scotland.

The 19-year-old uses a wheel chair and has little control over her movements and speech.

But despite this, she has just climbed the Cairn Gorm mountain, sailed through Lochs and Sounds in the Highlands and negotiated two Scottish canals, the Caledonian and the Crinan.

All the money raised during the challenge will go towards her charity, the Miss Isle School of Sip and Puff.

The school gives young people like Natasha the chance to get out on the water and sail in specially adapted boats.

Natasha controls her own 21-foot yacht, Miss Isle Too, by sipping and puffing on a straw.

The expedition began at Inverness Marina on 18 July after months of planning and training.

To tackle the mountain, Natasha used a Hart Walker.

This device allows her to stand upright which then means she can propel herself forward.

It took Natasha more than five-and-a-half hours to ascend and descend the Cairn Gorm mountain – the sixth highest peak in Britain.

She was supported by a team of people, including her parents, sister and a safety adviser from the Mountaineering Council of Scotland.

While sailing, Natasha has to use a special canting seat in her yacht.

This proved especially challenging on the canals, where she had to spend hours waiting to go through locks.

Natasha says she undertakes her challenges for two reasons, to raise funds and to raise awareness.

She has already received a British Empire Medal for her previous fund raising efforts.

15 July

Natasha Lambert’s charity teaches sip and puff sailing, where the sailor controls the boat by sipping and puffing on a straw.

Miss Isle School of Sip and Puff is based on the Isle of Wight and was founded by Natasha, who has athetoid cerebral palsy.

The 19-year-old wanted to open sailing up to more people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to the sport.

Natasha has already completed a number of challenges in her specially-designed 21 foot yacht, Miss Isle Too.

The boat’s unique sailing mechanism was pioneered by Natasha’s father, Gary, who spent hours coming up with the system.

Her mother, Amanda, who is also heavily involved with the charity, said she can see the difference sailing has made.

“I have seen first hand the immense benefits sailing has given our daughter; not just the control and freedom on the water, but increasing her self esteem and self worth, and even improving her speech,” she said.

Natasha, who is coached by Phil Devereux, will undertake her latest challenge on 18 July to raise money and the profile of her charity.

Along with her team, she is sailing from Inverness to Glasgow via the Caledonian and Crinan canals.

Not content with pushing herself to her limits on the water, she and her team will also be scaling Cairn Gorm Mountain, the sixth highest peak in Britain.

Natasha Lambert from the Miss Isle School of Sip and Puff out on her boat

Natasha on her yacht, Miss Isle. Credit: Miss Isle School of Sip and Puff

For this part of the challenge Natasha will swap her wheelchair for her “Hart Walker”, a stable device which she can propel forward despite having limited control over her movements.

In June 2015, Natasha received the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List.

This was in recognition of her fundraising achievements.

So far, she has raised £53,000.

In May 2015, she sailed 262 miles from Cowes to London to raise awareness of disabled sailing, and to raise funds to start her charity.

She has also sailed around the Isle of Wight, crossed the Channel, sailed over five hundred miles to Wales and climbed the highest peak in Southern Britain, Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons.

Natasha has also started last year’s Round the Island Race, and has been included in the Independent on Sunday 2015 Happy List.

Natasha said: “I just enjoy doing what I do. It’s great people get behind it, but really anyone could do it”.

The 19-year-old met up with sailors taking part in the Cowes Classic Week before preparing for her Scottish challenge.