He lost his legs and left arm in Iraq. He lost his cherished campaign hat in Spa Creek. But Sgt. Luis Rosa-Valentin is still smiling.
"Just happy to be alive," he'll tell anybody within earshot.
This decorated serviceman and his family joined approximately 30 other Wounded Warriors at the Sixth Wounded Warrior Sailing Regatta held in Annapolis Harbor on September 12. Jointly sponsored by The National Sailing Hall of Fame, Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB), the Connected Warrior Foundation and Warrior Events, the regatta pairs wounded men and women from the Armed forces with experienced CRAB skippers and/or Naval Academy Sailing Team members for a morning of racing and discovery on the Bay,
This year's regatta had it all... Rain. Wind. A man overboard. A 10-year-old at the helm in 20 knot winds. A touch of sea sickness.
For the hero featured here, it was a time to connect with his daughter, mother and father and girlfriend.
Disabilities disappear on the water, where all are equal before the twin forces of wind and waves.
"This Regatta lets the sailing community give back to those who have sacrificed so much for their country, " says event spokesman Paul Bollinger. Will this day on the water convert any of the warriors into sailors? "Who knows," says Bollinger with a smile.
"I know some of the servicemen and women learned some new skills out on the water today. And, when the wind picked up, they were no doubt exposed to some colorful nautical language. It's our goal to expose as many folks as we can to the healing power of wind and water Hopefully, we've encouraged some of them to come back out and try it again. Maybe we can even find that hero's hat floating somewhere in the Bay."
For more information, contact: [email protected]. ~Photos and story by Craig Ligibel. Video and more great photos below.
