There was a very moving article in Saturday’s NYTimes about Nick Scandone. Nick was the 2005 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year. In the early 90s, he tried unsuccessfully to qualify for the US Olympics Sailing Team. He carried on sailing competitively but not at an Olympic level. Like the rest of us, he had a career and a passion for sailing. Four years ago his situation changed dramatically – He was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig Disease.
Nick quit his job and got back to sailing full-time. He has earned a place on the US Paralympic Team. The tragedy of Lou Gehrig Disease is that the outcome is certain and it is progressively debilitating.
Nick’s inspiring spirit is summed up in this excerpt:
But the reality is that by September, Scandone may not be physically
able to compete for the United States. “The question came up at a
meeting,” Gary Jobson, a member of the Olympic Sailing Committee, said
Wednesday, “and I stood up and said, ‘Nick Scandone will tell us if he
can’t do it. Until he does, he’s our guy.’ ”Scandone said sailing had “given me a reason to get up in the morning.”
He
added: “I slowly become more paralyzed. I can sit back and watch it
happen, but that’s going to happen anyway so I might as well do what I
love.”Scandone, who has beaten many of the sailors he will face at the Paralympics, is not taking anything for granted.
“I’m
taking this one event at a time,” he said. “At the Olympics you’re
representing more than yourself. You feel that you have a lot more
weight on your shoulders. I’ll enjoy that weight while I have it.
What’s next after that, I don’t know.”
Whatever happens, Nick, we’re watching and cheering for you!