A rare day of sailing for people with disabilities
People with a variety of disabilities got to take a rare ride on sailing boats Sunday at LaSalle Mariner's Yacht Club.
Organizers of the Adaptive Sailing Outreach Weekend say demand for the event is growing with some people on a wait list.
Twenty people went on a one-hour sailing trip Sunday.
Gary Gavin, an avid sailor and scuba diver, had a spinal stroke two months ago paralyzing him from the chest down.
"I'm feeling alive again," he said. "This is absolutely phenomenal. Even though I'm a paraplegic, this is wonderful. This is hope.
Importance of recreational opportunities
Two boats were on loan from a disabled sailing program in Toronto, where Tracy Schmitt teaches people how to sail and is a four-way amputee.
"Only three per cent of people with disabilities have an opportunity to actively participate in any kind of physical activity," she said. "I think it's important for everybody, but I think it's especially important for people with disabilities."
Schmitt recognizes the benefits of getting out on the water or being able to participate in whatever activity they want.
"There's the social and there's the physical strengthening and there's all the health benefits of participating in recreational opportunities," she said.
Parents could also head out on the waters on a pontoon boat to take photos of the sailors.
