On a Mission to Raise Funds for High-Tech Breath-Powered Sailing Controls, on Friday May 22 at 9:30 a.m., three quadriplegics will attempt a 25-mile voyage from Baltimore's Inner Harbor to Annapolis's Sandy Point State Park. The adventure will be completed in one day, on one sailboat, and will undoubtedly test their endurance, strength and determination like never before.
Together they hope to raise awareness and funds to promote sailing for the most disabled on Maryland's beautiful waters. Raised funds will go to the purchase of a state-of-the-art mouth control Sip 'n Puff system. This special piece of technology allows an individual with no physical movement in their arms or legs to control a large sailboat with just their breath.
Both the Determined2Heal Foundation and Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB) are working together to open Maryland's waters to all abilities.
CRAB is an adaptive sailing organization based in Annapolis, MD, that has been helping people with disabilities leave their wheelchairs and embrace the high seas since 1991. Last year, quadriplegic Josh Basile and founder of Determined2Heal, sailed for the first time because of CRAB. He said goodbye to his power wheelchair and enjoyed an afternoon with the sun on his face and wind blowing through his hair. Thanks to CRAB's fleet of accessible boats Josh sailed even though he only has limited movement in his right arm and no leg or finger function.
The three quadriplegics taking part are pillars of the disability community.
Josh Basile: Paralyzed in 2004 during a beach accident at the age of 18, Josh decided early on to never let his injury slow him down. Josh founded his own nonprofit and created the internet's largest spinal cord injury video mentoring platform (SPINALpedia.com), which has reached hundreds of thousands of people. He also graduated magna cum laude from law school and is now a barred attorney.
Lance Hinrichs: Lance was paralyzed 33 years ago from a fall while as a student at the University of Vermont. He is now a high-level quadriplegic, loving husband and father of three. He has a MBA in Finance from Columbia University and is an economist for the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. He is a lifelong sailor who taught sailing before his injury, a past President of CRAB and a current board member since 2011.
Patrick Rummerfield: Injured in a car crash in 1974, Patrick was fully paralyzed below the shoulders. After years of intense physical rehabilitation he miraculously regained much of this lost movement and is recognized as the world's first "fully recovered quadriplegic." He still cannot feel below his knees and has limited movement in his fingers, but that has not stopped him from completing marathons around the world. He has 41 world records and firsts the Community Liaison at International Center for Spinal Cord Injury at Kennedy Krieger Institute. Patrick travels the world inspiring quadriplegics and the disabled to never give up hope and to pursue their dreams.
For more information please contact Josh Basile, at [email protected] or at 703-795-5711.
For more information online, please visit www.crabsailing.org orwww.determined2heal.org
