“For the Disabled, By the Disabled”, is a phrase at PPSC which refers to the fact that not only the participants, but also many of the staff are living with disabilities. As an organization made up of talented staff with so many different abilities, it proves we are in a unique position to provide the best services to disabled sailors through mentorship. There is a big difference between teaching “do as I say” and “do as I do”.

From the top down, our center is fully integrated with people from the disability community. We not only teach disabled sailing, we live it!

On our board of directors we have Jim Donahue – a single leg amputee and Vienam Vet. Jim volunteers often for our Adaptive events and serves both as Vice Chair of the Board and chairman of the adaptive committee. Jim leads the Sip & Puff program for the severely disabled.

Our Adaptive Coordinator, Maureen McKinnon-Tucker, is a paraplegic and eight time member of the US Sailing Team Alphagraphics. At the Beijing Games, she won a Gold Medal in the two person SKUD 18 Class with team mate Nick Scandone at the 2008 Paralympic Games. With a new team, she is currently campaigning a Sonar for another Gold Medal in the next Paralympic Games in London 2012.

In our Future Leader Program, we have a young adult who has a hearing impairment. Andrew has been a student here at PPSC for the past few years and has shown strong leadership so he was invited in 2009 to become staff. Andrew has successfully recruited and taught other teens with hearing impairments to sail.

Volunteer Instructor, Hugh Freund, is a cancer survivor and single leg amputee. A PPSC Instructor previously, Hugh has been named to the US Sailing Team Alphagraphics for 2009 & 2010. He has a lifetime of sailing experience – teaching in youth programs and working with Sonars. He is also pursuing a spot on the US 2012 Paralympic Sonar Team for the London Games.

Many of our Youth Instructors struggle with more invisible forms of disability such as ADD and ADHD and bring a special understanding and compassion to the students here.

Also, some of our Volunteer Companion Sailors have challenges – hearing impairments, sight impairments and neurological disorders.   Just as we operate inclusively in our Youth Program, we all work together and focus upon our strengths as a team, rather than our differences.