If you dare to tell Skye-Blue Henderson she can’t do something, you’re simply fuelling her desire to prove you wrong. Recently this determination came in particularly handy when Skye-Blue and her brother Jake competed on The Amazing Race.
Born without a left hand, Skye-Blue is used to people underestimating her abilities, but a can-do attitude has meant it has never held her back. Skye-Blue attributes this positive attitude to an upbringing where she was told she could do anything she set her mind to. That’s not to say she hasn’t had others doubting her ability.
“I don’t consider myself as having a disability or physical difference. Everyone has something different about them, whether it’s their hair colour or something else. Everyone is uniquely themselves.”
Skye-Blue says she lives by the motto of “Be you and be okay with it”.
Skye-Blue Henderson teamed up with her brother for the latest season of The Amazing Race, which was run solely in Australia due to Covid-19 and the subsequent international border restrictions. Prior to the race, Skye-Blue hadn’t travelled much here at home, which she now thinks is a shame because she’s discovered, “the whole world is in Australia.”
When quizzed on the destination highlights of her time on The Amazing Race, Skye-Blue doesn’t hesitate in picking Tasmania. She admits to not being a city person, preferring the opportunity to explore nature and the cultural aspects of a destination. Tasmania was somewhere she had always wanted to travel, and she says she found the raw and authentic nature of the region to be exceptional.
The Blue Mountains in New South Wales also rated as a favourite stop on The Amazing Race for Skye-Blue who describes it as, “something you’d expect to see on a postcard”.
When it comes to future travel wish-list destinations, Skye-Blue Henderson has Uluru on the top of the list for the cultural experiences and the opportunity to learn about Australian history.
Skye-Blue believes travel brings people closer together and says she is grateful she got to experience The Amazing Race with her brother Jake, who is also one of her best friends.
As you’d imagine, after racing around Australia with no mobile phone or camera and only a backpack, Skye-Blue Henderson has learnt a thing or two about packing light and being in the moment.
Skye-Blue Henderson’s Travel Tips
- Travel with less. Think about what you actually need, rather than what you prefer to have. When you remove lots of materialistic things, you realise what a distraction they are.
- Put your phone down for five minutes and take the sights in with your eyes, rather than a lens.
- Learn to read a map. If your phone is flat or you lose service, it’s good to have back-up map reading skills.
- A bum-bag full of snacks will keep the “hangriness” at bay.
Skye-Blue Henderson’s Advice For Parenting A Child With A Physical Difference
Let your child have the opportunity to give sport or another activity a go.
Trial and error will help them grow as a person and learn to be comfortable within themselves.
Believe in them and support them. People will be in their ear telling them they can’t do things but as long as they believe in themselves, they will achieve what they put their mind to with your support.
Let them be 100% uniquely them. Don’t try and ‘cotton wool’ them. They will need to experience harshness to feel whole within themselves. You have to hear a lot of ‘no’s to build the strength to move forward.
This story first appeared in Travel Without Limits magazine. You can subscribe here.
