Some of our sailors have been disabled their entire life, perhaps due to disease or a difficult birth. Some have become impaired more recently, following an accident or stroke. Still others battle degenerative conditions such as multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or a host of other debilitating diseases. For some, sailing with Able Sail Toronto represents a return to a sport they love, but had to give up due to circumstances out of their control. The majority however, are rookies to the sailing world and simply thrilled to become acquainted with such an exciting and liberating sport, especially when it means one of the few times of the week when a wheelchair, walker or other mobility aid gets left behind and the waters of Toronto's inner harbour are theirs to explore.
Linda Clarke has been featured in The Self-Manager issue News Winter 2023/2024, a publication for Direct Funding Program participants, that is from CILT, the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto.
Sofia Kanibolotskaia
”Sailing experiences brighten the reality of living a physical disability, as it inserts beautiful “can”-s among many ugly “cannot”-s: - cannot dance, cannot climb, cannot go here, cannot go there, cannot reach this or that – BUT: I can harness the wind, I can go in the middle of the lake, I can fly by the shores, I can get the sights and sensations I would not get otherwise!”