From Simple Shores to Miami's "Bay Play": A Lifelong Quest for Paradise
The Swedish Foundation
Once upon a time, long ago, when I was a little boy and grew up on the Swedish West Coast, my family had a summer home on the Isle of Tjörn. The house was simple: a primitive, two-story structure lacking running water and sewer. The oversized waterfront property featured a well and an outhouse. My dad and my uncle shared the summer home and a 33-foot sailboat named Capella. Since both siblings were schoolteachers, they would split the summer between the boat and the house. The families always exchanged practical gifts, such as boat cushions, fenders, or whatever else could be used aboard Capella.
Whatever the house lacked in amenities was richly compensated for with warmth and love! The waterfront property had a dock, and there were a few small islands within wading and swimming distance. We chased a model sailboat, sailing it back and forth in the shallow waters. The family also had a utility rowboat that was rigged up for sailing. It had a rudder, but no keel or centerboard, so we would sail it when the wind was favorable, but often had to row back against the wind.
As fall approached and it was time to head back for another school year, I remember seeking solitude atop one of the islands, saying a prayer, hoping to return next year. It was my paradise, and I loved it so much! The deep lessons of resourcefulness, simplicity, and communion with nature formed the very foundation of my life's philosophy.
The Olympic Experience
Fast forward to the 2000 Olympic Regatta in Sydney. I learned that sailing would be an exhibition event at the Paralympic Games. This knowledge, coupled with years of volunteering and sailing with people with disabilities throughout the nineties, ignited a powerful urge to give back.
In 2005, I founded Team Paradise. Our initial mission was simple: “to provide Paralympic equipment and coaching support to athletes with Paralympic ambitions, no matter their origin.” The Olympic ideal inspired it, the visual transition between the opening and closing ceremonies: From flags and formal rows in the opening to the spontaneous, joyful blending of all nations in the final, borderless march of the closing ceremony."
We had massive success, achieving podium finishes in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Unfortunately, sailing was later eliminated from the Paralympic competition. Our mission and focus had to evolve to continue serving the community.
An Evolving Commitment
We gradually began offering sailing for disabled Veterans and youth with special needs—a necessary shift that was a no-brainer. We moved to the US Sailing Center (USSC) in 2015, where we embraced their commitment to community service and began taking kids from the City of Miami Parks & Recreation out on the water.
Team Paradise played a role in the lease negotiations between the USSC and the City of Miami. Our outreach program expanded quickly, allowing us to sail with kids from organizations such as Breakthrough Miami, Moore Park, Urban Promise Miami, and Miami-Dade Parks Therapeutic Recreation and Inclusion. We served 550 kids in 2019, but like everything else, our operations came to a grinding halt with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Return to "Bay Play"
Now, the waiting is over. Miami-Dade County released a statement on June 8th allowing Summer camps to resume, and the return to sailing is a fact! We are thrilled to pick up where we left off.
Our Summer Camp is fundamentally based on my experience growing up in Scandinavia. The deep-seated focus on safe, fun, and resourceful exploration is why it’s aptly nicknamed "Bay Play." Just as in any successful establishment, people must return if their experience is the best. Our boats are modern and very well-maintained; we do not overload them, and we prioritize performance. Thanks to being awarded the Siebler Sailors Grant, we now have a new fleet of RS Fevas.
"Bay Play" is not just about learning to sail; it’s about a shared experience of discovering Biscayne Bay and the habitats in, on, and above it. It's about sailing from "Paradise Island 305" to various destinations around our part of the Bay: sand bars like Vizcaya, Key Biscayne, West Point, and Nixon's Beach.
Biscayne Bay is an unparalleled resource, the sole reason I moved to Miami as a young man. It is now my privilege to introduce this paradise-like environment to our youth in hopes of making a real difference in our community! Come and sail with us and explore what it has to offer!
Let’s Go Sailing!
Magnus Liljedahl