Hoofers and Special Olympics Wisconsin set sail
By Bethany Rahja x’15
On September 22, 2013, Hoofer Sailing Club hosted a sailing event that provided a new venue for athletes of Special Olympics Wisconsin to pursue adventures outdoors. While Hoofers and Special Olympics Wisconsin anticipated a modest 20 participants, within a few days of registration, nearly 75 athletes were registered for the event, ready to take on the winds of Lake Mendota.
“This event was the highlight of my summer,” said Dave Elsmo, Head of Instruction for the Sailing Club. “The turnout was incredible. Participants signed up quickly, instructors were enthusiastic about taking boats out, and community members were more than willing to help us achieve more than we had set out to.”
Hoofer Sailing Club and Special Olympics Wisconsin plan to continue their partnership in providing adaptive opportunities, with their ultimate goal being to provide more instruction and programming to the athletes who are interested in sailing and the outdoors. Some of their plans include extending programming to include adaptive canoeing and kayaking.
Below are just a few of the many photos taken at the event. Click through to view the rest of the gallery on Flickr.
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Bethany Rahja is a UW-Madison junior majoring in Marketing and Supply Chain Management. She is a Member Relations Intern at the Memorial Union, and her ideal day at the Union is eating Babcock ice cream while watching sailboats on Lake Mendota.
