VA New England Healthcare System
Disabled Veterans Sailing in Newport, Rhode Island
On a beautiful July morning last summer, a large bus from the VA Boston Healthcare System pulled up at the Sail To Prevail waterfront facility at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island. Aboard were nearly 50 disabled Veterans from around New England and beyond who came to spend two days on the water in kayaks and specially adapted Independence 20 sailboats graciously provided by Sail To Prevail, along with their certified instructors.
Disabled Veterans Sailing in Newport, Rhode Island VA Boston Healthcare System’s Adaptive Sports Program, whose motto is Rehabilitation through Recreation, sponsored the event. This was the fifth weeklong Summer Sports Clinic, the first to offer sailing in a weeklong clinic, and the first year in Rhode Island.
“We have enormous respect for the professionalism and dedication of the people from the VA New England Healthcare System,” said Paul Callahan, CEO of Sail To Prevail. “They are top notch, and we are proud to collaborate with them. Whether Veterans are in a wheelchair, are an amputee, or have some other hidden disability, sailing is a sport that levels the playing field for all to participate equally.”
Arn Manella, Sail To Prevail Waterfront Coordinator and retired Marine Corps commander, agreed. “It’s not a vacation. You’re here to try and experience.” Manella kept a watchful eye on the boats while they sailed the Lower East Passage. “We never insist,” he said. “We assist.”
Participants included paraplegics, quadriplegics, and amputees. “That special little piece of a skill clicks in,” said Ralph Marche, the 2014 Director of the VA Adaptive Sports Program. “Veterans say, ‘You know, this isn’t so hard. I have control over my life, and I know how to do this thing.’ It’s an AHA moment.”
One participant, paraplegic George St. Hilaire, summarized his experience. “Ah, this is the life right here! Look at this! I’m sailing! If it weren’t for organizations like this, I would probably be home . . . miserable! I have a life, you know! I do things! It’s great!”
New England Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) Vice President Wayne Ross described his experience in the July VA event. “Newport Harbor is beautiful, and I had a blast. The wind was perfect and the temperature ideal, not too hot or too cold, and ‘Speedy’ was the fastest boat. I can’t wait to do it again.”
Callahan said Sail To Prevail weekend events allow Veterans wounded in combat and activeduty military personnel with any type of disability to enjoy the camaraderie and fun of sailing together. “The results are astonishing,” he said. “Without question, the Veterans, the VA New England Adaptive Sports Program, and Sail To Prevail all derived a much higher level of impactful outcomes than anticipated.”
Sail To Prevail, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 1982, has helped more than 15,000 individuals with disabilities overcome adversity through therapeutic sailing. Each year, Sail To Prevail teaches approximately 1,000 people with disabilities the skills of sailing, including self-confidence, teamwork, and leadership. These skills translate to their everyday lives to conquer the challenges of living with a disability. Sail To Prevail was named a Paralympic Sport Club in 2011 by U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Sail To Prevail will host two Veterans events this summer. The VA Boston Healthcare System will repeat the successful disabled Veterans program July 21-22. To sign up, Veterans can contact Jenny McLaughlin, the Recreational Therapist who coordinates all of VA Boston’s Adaptive Sports Programs at (774) 826-1955 or jenny.mclaughlin@va.gov. No experience is needed!
There is also PVA Weekend June 27-28. Sailing is FREE to individual sailors!
The VA Boston Adaptive Sports Program holds events throughout the year, including air rifle, cycling, crosscountry skiing, kayaking, surfing, downhill skiing, fishing, snowshoeing, and water skiing. In January, VA Boston Healthcare System partnered with New England Handicapped Sports Association for its 18th Annual Winter Sports Clinic at Mount Sunapee, New Hampshire, for Veterans with disabilities.
