Sailor in the Spotlight Interview - Nick Scandone

In a few weeks, a second group of world-class athletes will take to the Olympic venues in Beijing, and the water at Qingdao, to compete in the 2008 Paralymic games.  Only accepted as a Paralympic medal sport since the 2000 games, sailing has bounded onto the scene with a record total of 80 competitors sailing for 25 countries this year.  The rest of the world is learning what we all know:  These folks can out-sail most 'Able Hands' any day!

The Paralympic games are not about pity.  These are astounding athletes who have the ability to overcome obstacles most of us can't imagine, and they exemplify the best in sports, courage and sheer human will - perhaps none of them more so than Nick Scandone. Diagnosed with ALS some six years ago, Nick will be racing in his first Paralympics this year in the 18' Scud, and following a dream he's had all his life for an International medal.

Being wheelchair bound with a progressive illness is a challenge, and so is competing in the 2008 games.  We'll give you one guess which of those two challenges Nick spends his time thinking about.  With a lifetime on the water, Nick's mind is on the competition, and his eyes are on the gold.  We could choose no finer sailor in the world to feature as this week's Sailor in the Spotlight.

We caught up with Nick Scandone at home in California.

YP:  Congratulations on making the U.S. Paralympic team!
NS:  Well, thank you.  Yeah - pretty happy about all that, and it's coming up fast.

YP:  When did you start sailing?
NS:  I grew up sailing the Junior program at Balboa Yacht Club in Newport Beach when I was seven years old.

YP:  Were you racing at that age?
NS:  Well, with the junior programs you really didn't start racing until you were 10 or so.

YP:  What can you tell us about the Paralympics?
NS:  In general the Paralympics are just the same as the Olympics.  It takes place in the same city and venues as the regular Olympics, and usually happens about two weeks after the Olympics end.  The games are designed for people with disabilities.  It can be a minimal disability, as in, for instance, a single-leg amputee from below the knee, that uses a prosthetic where you couldn't tell at all that the guy had a disability - ranging up to quadriplegics who have very limited movement in their arms.

YP:  And are they all the same events as the Olympics?
NS:  Not all of the same sports, but a lot of the same sports.  There is swimming, there's sailing, there's track.  So, they're all similar sports with adaptations for each individuals limitations.  They have the Opening Ceremonies, the Closing Ceremonies, it's 95% the same as the Olympics.

YP:  So how are sailing the teams made up?  I understand there's a point system with the crews?
NS:  There's a point system, and you have to be within the point system within each class.  The points are based on the disabilities.  So what ends up happening in the double or triple classes is that one of the sailors will be fairly severely disabled, and the other one or two sailors will be not as disabled.

So the point system is from one to seven, and for example in the three-person class, you can't have more than 13 points or something.  A medical committee assigns the points based on a series of physical tests.  So a single-amputee might be a seven, and you can't have three sevens on a boat or that would be too many points.

YP:  And if it's not too personal, what is your point rating?
NS:  I'm a one.  As far as my actual disability, I was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS, about six years ago.  When I first entered the disabled sailing arena, I was classified as a six.  Due to my disease being a progressive one, I have unfortunately progressed towards more and more limitations, and now I am considered the most severely disabled of all the athletes doing this.

So I'm sailing with a paraplegic that lives out in Marblehead Mass., and her name is Maureen McKinnon-Tucker.  We paired up in 2007 - just last year.

YP:  How do you like the SCUD 18?
NS:  I enjoy the boat.  It's the only boat in the paralympics that will plane.  It's definitely a little higher performance than the other two classes in the Paralympics.  It makes for a lot more fun on the water.

YP:  Speaking of fun on the water, what do you like the most about sailing?
NS:  It's in my blood.  I grew up with it, I like to be out on the water.  I like to be able to go fast and not hear any engines.  It's just something I've always enjoyed doing.

YP:  Does sailing mean something more to you now than when you started sailing?
NS:  It is important to me.  It becomes a big release from the day-to-day ongoings of life. Now, due to my progression, I have very limited mobility, but once I'm out on the water, I'm just like anyone else.  I can point the boat any direction I want to go, and I don't have any limitations.  But my love of sailing and competition haven't changed at all.  I'm very happy that I grew up with a sport that I love, and that I can continue to do it despite my limitations.

YP:  So, speaking of competition, what are the teams to watch out for in the Paralympic SCUD Class?
NS:  I think there's really five main teams, us included.  The others are the British team, the Canadians, Australia and Sweden.

YP:  And finally, what do you want people to learn from following the Paralympics?
NS:  Well, I just want everyone to understand that despite whatever limitations you may have, if you put your mind to it you can go out and enjoy yourself, and maybe get a gold medal.  It's all about how much you want it.

- KH and BH for YachtPals.com

Read More about Disabled Sailing or the Olympics

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• Sam Davies
• Lin and Larry Pardey
• Loick Peyron
• Hilary Lister
• Dee Caffari
• and more