Comment: Mark Lammens – “Lack of Effort by Provinces with Development or Support of Disabled Sailing”

October 5, 2022

National Team member Bruce Millar (Victoria, B.C./RVicYC) – 2.4mR

The Niagara 2022 Jeux du Canada Games just ended and has Paralympic Sailing on the schedule. Racing was in the Paralympic 2.4 mR class, an excellent boat that allows athletes with a disability including wheelchair athletes to compete at the highest level. It is a great credit to the sport of sailing that able bodied and Paralympic athletes can compete inclusively. 

Sail Canada and its Provincial member organizations have been pushing the ‘back the bid’ initiative to drum up attention and support for acceptance to the 2028 LA Games. However, some of Sail Canada’s partners, the Provincial Sailing Associations, have failed to recruit, develop and train Paralympic athletes for the Jeux du Canada Games. Only Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan had age-appropriate athletes. Ontario’s 2022 athlete was the athlete that won a medal at the 2017 Canada Games for Nova Scotia. 

These actions do not reflect those statements. 

Or, Very disappointing and a missed opportunity. 

Or, ????

Mark Lammens

For the past 35 years, Mark has been involved in many aspects of the sport as an athlete in the Finn and Soling, as Canadian Team Coach at big games, but also on home waters, and of course as a volunteer and administrator.