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2009 National Veterans
Summer Sports Clinic
September
21-25 Challenged
America will provide the sailing venue for the weeks events.
Support our recently disabled troops by volunteering for this
awesome event.
Please call Kelli at:
619-540-9318 or click below to email.
Support Our Troops
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Volunteer
Opportunities
Martin 16
Maintenance Days
*Wed
Sept. 9
4:00-7:00pm
*Sat Sept.
12
9:00am-1:00pm
Veterans
Summer Sports Clinic
Sept. 21-25
Shelter
Island Boat Show Booth
Oct. 3 &
4
2010 West
Marine Challenged America Regatta Committee
October
(date to be announced)
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Spectator Boat Needed for Veterans
Summer Sports Clinic
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If you're
sitting on your 50+ foot power boat thinking "I really
like what Challenged America does, I wonder how I could help
them."
We've got
the answer for you!
Contact
Carolyn at (619) 523-9318
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Dear
Friends,
We hope
you're having an enjoyable summer. Thanks for all the great support
and volunteer work.
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Who's that by Oracle?
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When BMW Oracle, the next America's
Cup Yacht, decided to introduce it's new crew and parade
up the bay, Challenged America decided what a great day for a sail.
We had five boats on the water for the best breeze of the week
and a great view. Photo courtesy of Heinz Steiner.
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Blind Sailors Day Success
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Another fantastic day on the water on August 15th for
our introductory sailing day for the blind. Having
never sailed before, two of our participants returned to the
dock, reluctantly, with smiles and a new love. The following
was written by one of them. And thanks to our first
time companion sailors Helen Burdett and John Evans.
Hello!
I came to sail for the first time ever today! What an
incredible experience! The feeling of controling that
sailboat was amazing! I feel like it was some type of
peaceful work; the entire experience was peaceful and enjoyable,
but I also learned that sailing takes a lot of work and
concentration. I like that! I had never really thought
about which way the wind is blowing: whether it was on my
nose, on my right ear, or over my shoulder. Learning to
analyze this, I was able to maneuver the sailboat without
continuous "hints" from my "teacher,"
John (Evans).
John was one of the most gifted teachers I've ever
met! He started by explaining and describing every part of
the Martin 16, and then as we moved away from the dock, the
descriptions became more vivid. Although I am totally blind,
I felt like I was seeing the seals sun bathing on top of the buoys,
the birds surrounding a small fishing boat, waiting for something
to eat, or the various types of "traffic" that passed us
throughout our short voyage. I learned how to tack, how to
move the boat so that it hit the small waves at a 45-degree angle
rather than sideways, and how to pull the sail in when it begins to
flap in the wind. John never stopped teaching during those
two hours of sailing, and I could have learned from him all
day!
From the moment I arrived, I felt very welcome, and enjoyed
meeting so many people, who definitely have a passion for
sailing. Thank you for allowing me to participate in this
sailing experience and for providing such a gifted volunteer to
assist me. Thank you for keeping this program going, and now
that I know what life-changing experiences occur there, I will
definitely recommend that my friends and clients come and join the
fun and learn how to sail. I will also spread your mission
and goals around in order to find people who will donate to this
wonderful organization, so it can continue to thrive. I am
eager to return and sail again--hopefully with John! Again,
thanks just isn't enough!
With a smile,
Karen Shrawder
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Urban's Corner
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The National
Veteran's Summer Sports Clinic
Disabled veterans are definitely the
faces on this month's poster for Challenged America, with the
second National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic (Sept. 20-25) at the
San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina, and with Challenged
America. Like a "one of these days..." story
beginnings, this Clinic (also known as the SSC) begins at the very
start of Challenged America.
I can remember, after being invited to go sailing with a couple of
disabled veterans in wheelchairs who owned a sailboat (Bob Hettiger
and Don Hyslop), how we, and other sailors, talked about getting
more disabled vets to sail with us. And the "one of
these days ..." wishful thought might have been forgotten by
the others, but for Bob and myself it was a sincere promise and
priority we talked about continuously over the years.
In 1996, after a successful career as a disabled Alpine ski
racer, and while attending the VA's National Winter Sports Clinic
in Colorado, I approached Sandy Trombetta, director of the VA's
Winter Clinic, about a second, Summer Sports Clinic with Challenged
America. Discussion, outlines and proposals went back and
forth between us over the years and, after a few attempts to start,
in 2008 the first, National Veterans Summers Sports Clinic for
recently injured veterans became a reality (the Department of
Veterans Affairs approved the therapeutic event) in San Diego, with
Challenged America. This year is the second (2009) National
Veterans Summer Sports Clinic for recently injured veterans, with
the SSC planned for four more years in San Diego with Challenged
America.
However, knowing the positive rehabilitative affect recreation and
athletics have had on my life and (Vietnam) combat experience, I
wondered about the long-term impact the Summer Sports Clinic would
have on those other disabled vets long after they left San Diego
and went home or back into the hospital, especially if they did not
return to sail with us in following years. Questions about
improvements in their health, rehabilitation and transition back to
society, their relationships and (new) families, were they able to
go back to school or get a job, and how many would launch their own
businesses, all haunted me. After all, Challenged America is
not about sailing, but rather about how the sailing experience
impacts and affects participants and their life.
In August I spoke at the Blinded Veterans Association National
Convention in Portland, Oregon. My second speech that day was
on the value of sports to combat-disabled veterans and their
transitioning back into society. This presentation was to a
selected group of recently war-blinded veterans and about the VA's
Winters Sports Clinic and skiing, and of course the National Summer
Sports Clinic and Challenged America. About halfway
through my presentation and while talking about the values of
sailing a blinded veteran yelled out: "Sailing is
great!" It was Scott, a blinded veteran with traumatic
brain injury (TBI) who had been at last year's SSC. I didn't
know he was in the audience until he spoke and introduced himself,
in a slow and deliberate voice, trying to grasp the words which
were difficult to pronounce, due to his injury. He went
on raving about the Clinic and sailing, and how it helped him set
new goals in life. Scott almost finished my talk for me, and
I immediately knew that he had answered by previous questions about
the impact of sailing with Challenged America.
I now know that "one of those days" is today, and along
with Bob Hettiger, co-founder of Challenged America, I want to say
that the promises we made years ago are coming true, and we want to
thank everyone for helping make it happen for thousand of kids and
adults with disabilities, both veterans and civilians, over the
past 31 years.
I look forward to you and your company helping Challenged America
as a volunteer and supporter at the upcoming National Veterans
Summer Sports Clinic for recently injured veterans.
Tell your friends and co-workers ... come on down to the dock and
get involved or cheer on America's injured warriors as they sail on
a new adventure with Challenged America. Contact Kelli today
at (619) 523-9318 or email Kelli@ChallengedAmerica.org, to get the sailing schedule and
see how you can volunteer and support Challenged America and the
recently injured veterans sailing on San Diego's Big Bay, Sept.
20-25, 2009.
Urban Miyares, Co-Founder
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WORSA's Disabled Sailors Benefit
Regatta
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The WORSA (Women's Offshore Racing
Sailing Association) event was very rewarding. Urban, Carolyn
and a new blind participant, Lemma Buta, drove to Dana Point
together Saturday where they were joined by Carol Hannay and
her son, Bryan. Bryan is a new participant having sailed with
us only once previously on a Martin 16. He, his Mom and
Carolyn sailed together on a Catalina 30 which went on to win the
regatta. Being new to sailing, Bryan remarked
several times, when describing the Catalina 30, "wow, this is
a really big boat."
Also racing was another blind sailor
from the Dana Point area. She, Urban, and Lemma eached raced
on three other boats. There were five boats in the race so
only one sailed without a CA person aboard. The seas were
lumpy and the winds fluky, but despite mother nature a great sail
was had by all. The reception after the race was
terrific. In addition to the race entry fees being donated to
CA, for the 2nd year in a row a beautiful nautical quilt was woven
by one of the WORSA members which was raffled off both on-line and
at the event. It was a great fundraiser for CA. Look
for it next year and plan on attending.
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From The Helm
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C.A. participants have been very
active this month. In addition to weekend sailing on the
Martin 16's, we've added some Thursday sailing and were happy to
have a several people sailing during the week. The Capri 22
is being sailed regularly on Tuesday afternoons and just completed
the annual 10 race Beer Can Series on the Bay. The Capri crew
varied a little bit from week to week but the core of Phillip
Winter, Hiro Iwamoto and Gordo Parham jelled into a great team
finishing in 5th place in a fleet of 12 boats.
Congratulations to them!
B'Quest II, with Lyle Lundberg at the helm, has been out practicing
and just raced in the very competitive Fleet A of CRA's Sharp
Hospice regatta. They looked great in their red CA
t-shirts. On the near horizon for B'Quest II will be CRA's
Around the Coronados on Saturday, September 12th and SWYC's San
Diego to Ensenada International Yacht Race on Friday and Saturday,
Oct. 2nd & 3rd. Anyone interested in joining
the BQ II team to race in these events, and participate in the
practices, please call Carolyn at the office or send an e-mail to director@ChallengedAmerica.org.
Congrats
to C.A. sailor!
Blind sailor Hiro Iwamoto has gone
national, finishing in 4th place overall in the 2009 Blind Sailing
National Championships sailed out of Newport, R. I. He and
his crew led after the first day of sailing after completing 4
races, missing 3rd place by only 4 points in the final standings
after 3 days of racing. Sailing in a fleet of 7 J-22's, Hiro
finished with 7 top four finishes in the 11 race series.
Congratulations Hiro!
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Martin Sailing Dates
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Reservations are required for the
follow dates:
Thursday, September 3, 11:00-2:00
Thursday, September 10, 11:00-2:00
Saturday, September 12, 10:30-2:30
Thursday, September 17, 11:00-2:00
Private and personal sailing
instruction is available on alternative days, based on the
availability of sailing companions and instructors. Contact us
for more information.
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Capri Sailing Dates
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Reservations are required for
the following dates:
Tuesday, September 8, 12:00-3:00
Tuesday, September 15, 12:00-3:00
Tuesday, September 29, 12:00-3:00
Alternative days are available,
based on availability of skipper.
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Important Dates
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September 9 Martin
Maintenance Day
September 12 Martin Maintenance Day
September
21-25 National Veteran's Summer Sports Clinic
October 3 & 4 Shelter Island
Boat Show
October, first week (date to be
announced) First Committee Meeting of the 2010 West Marine
Challenged America Regatta
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Challenged America is a therapeutic program
of the charitable 501(c)(3) Disabled Businesspersons Association.
All contributions, gifts and vessel donations are tax-deductible to
the full extent of the law.
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