Sonar GOLD
Jens Kroker, Robert Prem and Siegmund Mainka (GER)
2.4mR GOLD
Paul Tingley (CAN)
Skud18 GOLD
Nick Scandone and Maureen Mckinnon-Tucker
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Please click the "donate" button or make your check or money order payable to "Team Paradise" and mail to:
Team Paradise Sailing, Inc.
2539 S. Bayshore Dr. #423
Miami FL 33133
Team Paradise earned a piece of each of the three Gold medals handed out at the Paralympic Regatta in Qingdao last week. That is right, we are talking about a clean sweep! None of it would have been possible without your support.
Nick Scandone and Maureen Tucker-McKinnon (USA) won the GOLD in the SKUD 18. The Team used our Skud #004 to train and race, for most of 2008.
Paul Tingley (CAN) won the GOLD in the 2.4mR. He used one of our boats to train in Miami, where I tried to beat up on him several times, without being very successful.
Jens Kroker and his crew, Robert Prem and Siegmund Mainka, (GER) won the GOLD in the Sonar class. The team used our Sonar to practice and race in Florida earlier this year. They won the 2008 Rolex Miami OCR and gained valuable confidence, leading to Paralympic GOLD.
We also earned a piece of a BRONZE medal when John McRoberts and Stacie Louttit (CAN) grabbed a podium finish in the Skud18. They used one of our boats in their final preparation during the 2008 Clagett Memorial Regatta.
Other Paralympic teams that Team Paradise had the honor of supporting during the past quadrennium include:
Team Odessy (USA) in the Sonar class. Ricky Doerr and his crew, consisting of Tim Angle and Bill Donohue used our Sonar to train and race for most of the summer in New England.
Amy Kelehan and John Tumi (IRL) used one of our SKUD18s for training and raced in the 2008 St Pete Open Regatta.
Ken Kelly and his Team Raven (CAN) have used our Sonar several times in their persuite to become Paralympians.
Congratulations to all of the Paralympians and their incredible achievements during the 2008 Paralympic Regatta. Not every team brought back a medal, but the true reward lies in the journey and everyone was a winner. Once a Paralympian, always a Paralympian, never past, never former.
I'm stoked about the fact that Team Pardise was able to play a small, but yet significant part in their achievements. We have fulfilled our mission statement in a big way and their triumphs provides the perfect opportunity to spell out Team Paradise's success in an "attention to results" kind of way. Even though Team Paradise is not just about winning, it is about providing first class equipment for those athletes who wants to try hard and one day, perhaps, represent their country at the Paralympic Games.
I firmly believe that Team Paradise has cut out a niche for itself and that our existence is desired by sailors from around the world and that we are filling a void. Eight teams from four nations, all directly benefiting from our programming, participated in the 2008 Paralympic regatta. Several other teams did not make it there, but were a part of the journey just as well.
We now take aim at the next quadrennium and invite you to be a part of our Team. Please send us a contribution, small or large. We will go to work right away. Making a difference in someone's life is our bottom line and It is what fuels my ambition and motivation to continue the programs. Having this type of success along the way makes it even more worth while. Let's go 2012!
Magnus Liljedahl