Alexander J. ‘Sandy’ Mitchell MBE
February 16,1944 – May 5, 2018
“Of course we can” was a familiar response from the founder of WindReach, the late Mr. Alexander (Sandy) J. Mitchell, MBE. Sandy had cerebral palsy but did not allow what might be seen as a disability by others to affect his positive outlook and his accomplishments in life.
He was a successful businessman and a keen outdoorsman who participated in sailing, cross country skiing and horse riding, among other sports. In 2008, Sandy represented Bermuda as an equestrian at the Beijing Paralympics and was an inspiration to Paralympic athletes from around the world. Sandy has dedicated his life to building inclusive community facilities that provide people with special needs with opportunities to access meaningful and therapeutic activity.
Sandy Mitchell was living proof that the care and determination of one person can make a significant difference in the lives of thousands.
In 1979, Mr. Alexander (Sandy) J. Mitchell, MBE acquired the land for WindReach Farm in Ontario, Canada and developed the property into a fully-accessible working farm which was officially opened in 1989. Building on the success of the Canadian facility WindReach Bermuda was officially opened on October 1, 1999.
WindReach is a fully-accessible 4 acre facility located in Warwick Parish, Bermuda, featuring a multi-purpose Activity Centre, Animal Zone, Therapeutic Riding Centre, and a fully-accessible playground.
WindReach is unique in that it offers a variety of therapeutic and educational experiences for people with varying physical and intellectual abilities. Today, we have on average 200 participants benefitting from our programmes on a weekly basis. Participants range in age from preschoolers through to our seniors community.
