Hilary Lister now is embarking on a record-breaking journey to sail alone around the British Isles in a boat controlled only by her breath. (File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, June 17 (Xinhuanet) -- A quadriplegic woman, the first quadriplegic to sail across the English Channel, now is embarking on a record-breaking journey to sail alone around the British Isles in a boat controlled only by her breath, media reported Tuesday.

    Hilary Lister, 36, who is only able to move her head, eyes and mouth, started her solo sailing in her boat from Dover on the southeast coast of England, steering her specially adapted yacht by blowing and sucking on straws to adjust the sails and tiller.

    As she set off Monday, Lister said she was feeling confident.

    "We've broken everything that can be broken and everything that could have gone wrong has gone wrong, so we've got to be OK now," she told the media.

    The whole journey is expected to take around three months, with an inflatable boat sailing alongside her and a crew providing support on land.

    Lister suffers from a rare disorder known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy, an agonizing muscle-wasting condition which has left her with no movement below the neck.

    Thanks to high-tech adaptations to her Artemis 20 boat, she became the first quadriplegic to sail solo across the English Channel and the first female quadriplegic to solo circumnavigate the Isle of Wight.

     Her journey will raise money for her charity, Hilary's Dream Trust, which aims to help other people with disabilities achieve their dreams of sailing.

    Lister's progress will be posted on her website.

    (Agencies)