By Airwaves writer Gretchen Croll
One of the best aspects of the sport of sailing is the accessibility it offers to people of all ages and backgrounds. Most sailors develop a lifetime passion for this sport which allows such great interaction with nature while still fostering great competition. Though the sport of sailing is physically demanding, there are many associations and organizations which cater to the physically handicapped in order to spread the joy of sailing and the outdoors to more people.
Sailing is a unique sport due to the symbiotic relationship its participants form with Mother Nature. There are few other sports which so easily combine man’s technological advancements with the force of the wind in order to gain power. This provides sailor’s with an insight into the natural world which most sportsmen cannot develop and allows for an experience that can open one’s soul no matter their situation. This connection to innovation and technology is what makes sailing a good choice for individuals with physical disabilities. Due to the physical limitations many of the participants in an adaptive sailing program, special boats must be designed in order to accommodate these special needs. This allows for a great deal of innovation in boat design and function which can help further the sport of sailing as a whole as well as provide opportunities for people with limited movement. Most boats can be adapted for disabled individuals with only a few modifications. However there are an ever greater number of boats being designed specifically for disabled sailors. This is an encouraging trend and bodes well for the future of adaptive sailing as a whole. Since while sailing an individual is confined to a relatively small space, there is only a limited amount of movement that can occur. These movements can be easily anticipated and accommodated for through advanced technology and modifications made to the vessel. For example, most boats adapted for people with disabilities have seats which can move from one side of the boat to the other in response to changing wind speed as well as tacks and gybes.
But there is more to adaptive sailing than the technological advances it offers which allow individuals the chance to participate. Sailing also offers a unique feeling of power and freedom to the participant. This is an important feeling in every person who participates in any sport, but is even more poignant for individuals who have been confined and limited by a lack of physical mobility. Being surrounded by open water while in charge of your own vessel can be a life changing moment for individuals involved in an adaptive sailing program.
There are many such programs throughout the country, and all can be found in the link included at the end of this article. One such program, The Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Foundation, located in Burnham Harbor in Chicago, IL is a particularly great example due to the history of its founding. The Foundation was started in 1990 by the family of Judd Goldman. Judd suffered from a debilitating bone disease when he was 17 which severely limited his range of movement. Though he wanted to be involved in sports, he found that many were not available to him because of his disability, but sailing was not one of them. Judd became an avid sailor and even participated in some long distance racing. This program also sets a great example by involving the community in the program. This program is a public/private foundation partnered with the Chicago Park District. The Park District operates the program on a day to day basis while the foundation raises all the money needed to keep things ship-shape.
The Goldman Foundation’s adaptive sailing program gets around 1000 participants every year and offers 15 hours (six 2.5 hour lessons) of sailing training for only $100. This offer is for beginner and intermediate sailors, in fact, many of the testimonials on the foundation’s website are from people who had never sailed before in their life. Many speak of the freedom and independence that sailing has given them after they thought they would never have a normal life again. The foundation, in partnership with the Chicago Yacht Club even started the North American Challenge Cup (NACC) which is a large regatta hosted for sailors with disabilities. The foundation caters to all skill sets and comfort levels of sailors, from a leisurely cruise to more competitive racing, they have the instruction to get you there and the vessels which match each particular skill set.
There is another important aspect of adaptive sailing which can sometimes be overlooked. Adaptive sailing also provides a great many opportunities for sailors who participated in and loved the sport of sailing before they suffered an accident or injury which left them with a life changing disability. Allowing these individuals the chance to still participate in the sport they love is a great service which should not be overlooked.
All in all, adaptive sailing is a great way to bring new participants to the sport of sailing and to give a great variety of individuals the experience of freedom and independence on the water. The values of such programs are multi-faceted and deserve our support.
Please donate to an adaptive sailing program in your area if you can. You will be helping to change a life.
http://adaptive.ussailing.org/Where_to_Sail.htm
Sources:
http://www.sailing.org/sailors/disabled/about-ifds.php
http://www.juddgoldmansailing.org/adaptive_sailing.html
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