About Our Founder

“The Reward is in the Journey”

Magnus Liljedahl, born March 6, 1954, in Göteborg, Sweden, became an American citizen in 1994 to have better odds of qualifying for the Olympic Games. After chasing his vision and dream for 29 years, He competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, where he won a gold medal in the Star Class with Mark Reynolds. The pair were awarded the ISAF-Sperry World Sailor of the Year, the Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, and the US Sailor of the Year in 2000. 

Magnus is only the fifth male crew to have won the ISAF World Sailor Of The Year Award since its inception in 1994. He is the only American male crew to ever win it.

Magnus won six Bacardi Cups, sailing with four different skippers: Vince Brun, MarkReynolds, Peter Bromby, and Mark Mendelblatt.

Magnus won numerous European and North American Championships with Mark Reynolds. He teamed up with Frederik Loof (SWE) to win the Star European Championship in Aarhus 

Team Paradise Sailing

In 2005, following the Olympics, Magnus founded Team Paradise Sailing to provide athletes with disabilities worldwide access to elite equipment and coaching support. The organization operated out of Shake-A-Leg Miami until 2014, when it relocated to the US Sailing Center in Miami and earned accreditation as both a US Sailing Community Program and School.

When sailing lost its Paralympic status after the 2016 Games, Team Paradise pivoted to survive. The program earned a Siebel Sailing Program grant in 2019 and broadened its scope to serve youth from under-resourced communities, military veterans, and neurodiverse individuals.


Champion Team-mates

Through his athletic career in the sport of Sailing, Magnus teamed up with many legendary sailors:

Olympic Medalists

  1. Buddy Melges

  2. Stig Wennerstrom

  3. Kevin Burnham

  4. Morgan Reser

  5. Hans Wallen

  6. John Kostecki

  7. Mark Reynolds

  8. Freddie Loof

  9. Ian Percy

  10. Pelle Petterson

  11. Brian Ledbetter

Other Olympians

  1. Paul Cayard

  2. Peter Kolni

  3. Charlie Ogletree

  4. Vince Brun

  5. Peter Bromby

Rockstars

  1. Jimmy Spithill

  2. Mark Mendelblatt

  3. Augie Diaz

  4. Jud Smith

  5. Andy Lovell

Honorary Awards

2025 Kevin Burnham Memorial Award 

The Selection Process: The award is managed by US Sailing and is typically presented at their annual meeting. Unlike a purely stats-based award (like "Sailor of the Year"), this one relies heavily on nominations from the community. Here are the specific values the committee looks for in a nominee:

  • Eligibility: Open to sailors of all ages who compete at a high level.

  • Nomination: Fellow sailors, coaches, or officials submit stories of the athlete's character.

  • Symbolism: The award honors someone who "lifts the spirits" of those around them.

The Award is open to sailors who compete or have previously competed in Olympic classes and/or the Olympic Development Program. It will be given annually to a competitor (or team of competitors) who best exemplifies Kevin’s spirit and embodies these characteristics: passion, perseverance, persistence, sportsmanship on and off the water, love of the sport, and love of his/her competitors.

2018 Honorary MBA, Florida State University, Chapman School Of Business

Awarded for his continuous support in the community.

2017 Dockwalloper

  • The Dockwalloper Award is the Coral Reef Yacht Club's highest honor. It is presented annually to a member or their spouse who demonstrates outstanding personal leadership in amateur yacht racing. The key criteria for the award are: Leadership in amateur yacht racing: The recipient must show significant leadership in the sailing community, both within and beyond the club.

  • Contribution to sailing: The award recognizes contributions to the sport of sailing, whether in the bay or the ocean. This is not strictly based on competitive performance, but rather on a positive impact on the sailing community.

    Special Recognition: The individual's actions must merit "special recognition" for their positive influence on the sport and the club.

2016 Ronald McDonald “12 Good Men” Award 

The 12 Good Men Award is specifically for the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of South Florida and has the following criteria:

  • Honorees must have a record of significant community involvement.

  • Civic Service: They must demonstrate exemplary civic duty.

  • Support for South Florida Charities: They must demonstrate unwavering support for one or more leading South Florida charities.

2013 Gay S. Lynn Memorial Award

This award is presented to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to sailors with disabilities and the sport of adaptive sailing over a sustained period.