Enfield
Then there’s what Enfield resident Christopher Ross is doing: honoring his twin brother, Michael, by the way he lived his life.
Following Michael’s death on Nov. 21 at age 32 from cystic fibrosis, Christopher Ross made a decision to take a love of sailing he shared with his brother further than ever before. He wanted to honor his brother’s memory and raise awareness for CF, which the Ross brothers also shared the length of their lives together.
Christopher’s desire to progress in sailing has reached the highest of goals: He wants to be the first person with cystic fibrosis to sail around the world, all in the name of activism. He told Michael of his idea a year ago, and his brother understood completely, given their health history. The two were diagnosed with CF mere weeks after they were born.
Like they always were with each other, Michael supported Christopher’s dream, even if he did have questions at first.
“He wondered why and for what reason, but then I told him I think I could wrap it around activism, engagement and awareness for cystic fibrosis — and he thought that was pretty cool,” Christopher said.
It’s a dream that makes complete sense to those who know Christopher and knew Michael. Christopher’s close connection to his brother both gave him the personal motivation to sail around the world and added the final push he needed as well.
“When Michael passed away, it became even more obvious that this is something that Chris knew he needed to do not only for himself, but for Michael as well,” said Liz Ross, Christopher’s wife.
In addition to this bond, dad Mitch Ross cited Christopher’s competitive nature as a driving force behind what he’s doing.
“I think he’s just looking at this like, ‘I can do it even though I have CF. I want to give it a try. I don’t want it to hold me back from my dreams,’ ” Mitch Ross said.
Michael was able to witness the birth of Christopher’s dream before he died.
CF, the genetic disease that among many complications causes increased breathing difficulty, was just something the twins monitored while they lived the most active and normal lives possible. While he preferred casual sailing, Michael was naturally gifted and, to his brother’s recollection, never took any formal lessons. As they sailed well into their mid-20s, no one would know either of the twins had CF, which is just how Michael wanted it to be.
In order to put his plan in motion, Christopher would need a training program that would prepare him for the rigors of the kind of sailing he wanted to do. He had to surround himself with the right people, too. He found both in Oakcliff Sailing on Long Island.
Oakcliff Sailing is a nonprofit training center that provides network and extensive training opportunities for experienced sailors who are looking to take their sailing to the next level. It could be with Oakcliff’s specifically tailored training programs, or it could be for those looking for training for specific races or season-long events.
Christopher was accepted into a group of more than a dozen sailors from places such as Spain, Germany and Denmark. Elizabeth Shaw, a consultant for the Oakcliff training program, said the determination Ross showed behind his intentions played a role in offering support.
“He’s got a massive hill to climb to reach his goals, but there’s absolute purpose in it,” Shaw said. “And I believe with a background such as he has and that purpose pushing him along, he’s exactly who we’re looking to support through our programming.”
Since Christopher’s reason for applying wasn’t just about sailing, Oakcliff had an easy decision to make.
“When someone comes to us and says, ‘I want to sail around the world,’ we go, ‘OK,’ ” Shaw said. “But when someone comes to us and says, ‘I want to sail around the world, and I want to be the first person with cystic fibrosis to do it, and I want to do it in the name of fundraising and raising awareness,’ it’s not difficult to get behind that — especially with who he is as a person.”
There is some risk involved for someone with Christopher’s condition. Cathy Ross, Christopher’s mother, who brought the twins to numerous sailing events growing up, knew this.
“I was nervous and scared for him, and I still am,” she said. “But this is what he wants to do, and he’s very happy and very excited. I’m very proud of him.”
This idea that sailing would be taxing for anyone — let alone someone with an underlying condition — was not lost on Christopher, either. Wasting no time, his workouts, which consisted of gym time two days a week and another day running, added 20 pounds to his frame and improved his endurance. While he focused on his preparation, his wife made sure he didn’t have to worry about his medication.
“Liz — she’s a teacher — she’s writing out the refill dates so everybody knows this pill is coming at this date,” Christopher said. “Fortunately, the list isn’t that big.”
The final test was a visit to his doctors to test his lung function, an exam Christopher passed. Besides the physicality of his goal, there was a mental aspect that Christopher prepared for as well: opening up about having cystic fibrosis, which is a huge change for someone who normally kept that reality close to the vest.
“He dated a girl for six months and never told her. He never told anyone,” Cathy Ross said.
According to Liz Ross, a large reason for Christopher’s initial desire to keep his disease private was because he wanted to help support Michael, whose CF was much more advanced. Now, Christopher has jumped at the chance to use his platform to help others.
“This is an opportunity to bring understanding and bring hope to people,” Liz said. “And I’m very proud of him for being able to do that.”
Mentally and physically ready, Christopher had to figure out how he was going to be able to afford the Oakcliff program, even with the financial help he was given. With Liz’s help, he set up a GoFundMe page aptly titled Sailing to Inspire, which told his story and asked for donations from those who could afford it and wanted to help. Still hoping to get companies to help sponsor him, the page has raised $6,800 dollars to date.
Races Christopher hopes to accomplish this summer include the Around Long Island Regatta, which starts on Thursday, and the Ida Lewis race in August in Newport R.I. The next phase kicks off next summer with the Bermuda 1-2 race, as well as the Marblehead to Halifax race, which is more than 400 miles in length. Christopher hopes to then complete a transatlantic race, which would prepare him for the Barcelona world race, his ultimate goal, in 2018.
“It’s all about the stepping stones and constructing the path to those really much, much bigger events,” Christopher said.
No matter how involved his training is, Christopher Ross doesn’t want to stop inspiring others who have different dreams, letting them know that they’re worth going after regardless of their size. His brother embodied this philosophy. As his health declined, his happiness for accomplishing his goals never did.
“We were there for what turned out to be his last steps, and he was so happy to do that,” Christopher said. “That was his big achievement for the day. And I think that’s what I want people to take away from this.
“The size of the goal isn’t important. To you, it’s probably going to be the biggest thing, so think about the best thing you can do for yourself that day — and that’s admirable and that’s brave. And that’s great.”