These last few months have indeed been an adventure!  Three surgical procedures in June and July, without a resolution to my blocked ureter, left me wondering if I would even sail in the Independence Cup/North American Challenge Cup and the Clagett Memorial Regatta in August, the IFDS Disabled World Championships in September and the Paralympic Sailing Trials in October.  Determined to finish what I started, I delayed having major surgery so that I could compete in these events.  God sustained me through them.

After recently winning the Independence Cup for the fifth consecutive year, taking the gold by seven points in the IFDS Worlds, qualifying the USA for a spot at the Paralympic Games and tying for first in the Clagett, Team Sailing for Life now congratulates Nick Scandone and Maureen McKinnen-Tucker in their awesome performance at the Paralympic Trials.  We beat them in our two previous regattas, but they came back with a vengeance and kicked our butts at the Trials!  They were totally on their game.  Nick is an awesome sailor with many collegiate and world wins on his resume.  He’s been racing all his life and it definitely showed at the Trials.

One regatta, winner takes all, is how the USA determines which sailing team will represent the country at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.  In the Sailing Trials, there is no second place.  There are no alternates.  A team can perform well consistently for years and not win the Trials.  A team can be leading throughout the Trials and lose on the last day. Every team has an off regatta now and then.  Just don’t let it be the Trials!

Did Team Sailing for Life want to win?  Yes, that was our goal!  Are we disappointed that we did not win?  We are at peace with not winning and believe things turned out just the way they were meant to be. Read on! We won the Worlds, which was against the top SKUD sailors of the world.  We enjoyed our victory!  I believe in God's Providence, and I believe that God's Providence had His way.  Nick was meant to win!

My team name, Sailing for Life, tells my story.  When I was at my darkest moments, I would go sailing.  Sailing was instrumental in my surviving stage four bladder cancer.  When I was being told that I would not survive the cancer, I would go sailing and find a new strength to keep fighting.  Nick, the winner of the Trials, is himself sailing for life.  He has ALS, a degenerative disorder in which he is in his fifth year.  Sailing is doing him good!  His goal to represent the USA in the 2008 Paralympic Games gives him a purpose and driving force to keep him fighting.  After winning the Trials, Nick looked better than he has in a long while.  His wife, Mary Kate, joyfully proclaimed that she would now have another eleven months with her husband since he has this goal to work towards.  WOW!

Over these last few years, I have been struggling with chronic kidney infections.  They became so frequent that I would have an infection every month or two.  In 1999, as a result of stage four bladder cancer, I had major surgery to remove my bladder.  As a result of an inadequate blood supply and recurrent infections, my left ureter has become completely blocked.  I have tried all conservative measures to correct the blockage with disappointing results.  Now facing reconstructive surgery with a four to six month recovery time, I am relieved that I do not have the pressure of flying to China with so little time after my recovery.  I believe God's Providence is protecting me because going to China may have been harmful to my health.  Betsy Allison, the US Disabled Sailing Coach, plans for the second place team to be training partners with Nick and Maureen and fly to China in May to train with them in a test event.  Team Sailing for Life maintained second place throughout the Trials.  In the very last race, while on a port tack, my steering broke.  With on coming starboard tack boats (they have the right of way), JP had to leave his seat to rig up a temporary steering system to enable us to avoid a collision.  SKUD class rules require a boat to withdraw from the race if one of the team members leaves their seat.  Thus, we had to withdraw from the race and dropped down to third place over all.  I believe this happened for a reason.  I am not meant to go to China!  And it may just be for my own good.

Team Sailing for Life has many years of racing ahead and will continue on.  For now, we are right where we are meant to be.  This is Nick’s time.  Let’s all keep Nick in our prayers, for God to sustain his health.  Nick and Maureen, go win the Gold medal for the USA at the 2008 Paralympic Games!

Our sincerest thanks to everyone who financially supported and prayed for Team Sailing for Life throughout our campaign, training and competition.  We could not have accomplished what we did without you!