¦ April 2, 2009
A SAILING STORY
Reprinted with permission of author, Dave Lewandowski, Indycar.com

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Sea spray caught Sam Schmidt squarely on the face as the sailboat knifed through the 6-foot waves on shimmering Tampa Bay. Schmidt just laughed -- like a teenager on a rollercoaster, which approximated the experience for the quadriplegic Firestone Indy Lights team owner.

Hey, legs aren't necessary to walk the waves.

"When somebody is paralyzed, this just proves you can do anything you put your mind to," said Schmidt, whose Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation has been preaching that message and leading initiatives to fund scientific research for spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders for nearly a decade.

Schmidt hooked up with Team Paradise for some adventure on the high seas in a SKUD 18 -- one of three Paralympics skiffs that are available to the disabled for training and competition. Schmidt steered the vessel from a modified go-kart seat that employs left-right toggles sensitive to finger movements. Trimming the sails were 2000 Olympic gold medalist Magnus Liljedahl and Phil Smithies, a four-time International Masters Champion and coach to the bronze medal-winning SKUD 18 team in the 2008 Paralympics Games.

"I don't know if I like the fact that you get halfway out there and they tell you, 'Well, this is a little rougher than we ever take people out in,' '' Schmidt deadpanned. "That was a bit of a surprise. Everything is all peachy until you get out there past the break wall and then you're looking at 8- to 10-foot swells.

"You can definitely see the analogy between sailing and IndyCar racing. It's all about using your tools. It was just a heck of a lot of fun."

So it was for fellow Firestone Indy Lights team owner Jim Guthrie, who was an IndyCar Series teammate of Schmidt's with Blueprint Racing in 1997. Guthrie accepted the invitation to race against Schmidt in the sleek craft. Facing 20-knot winds and 8-foot swells, the 45-year New Mexico resident was half-heartedly regretting that decision.

"When Sam called me and asked if I wanted to race him in a sailboat, I said sure," Guthrie said. "But then I thought, 'Wait, he chose me because I'm from the desert and don't know anything about boats or water.' It was fun. You can feel the boat with the wind. I still haven't got it dialed in, but I got the feeling and thought, 'Wow, that's a trip.' "

Team Paradise sailors leave their disabilities on the dock. The non-profit organization was founded by Liljedahl in 2005 and provides boats and equipment to disabled sailors with paralympic ambitions free of charge.

"The sport is very suitable for disabled, because the mental aspect is more important than the physical," he said. "It's a great sport because you can stay with it your entire life. The camaraderie among the sailors is fantastic. Your mentors, idols and competitors become your friends and you watch one another develop throughout your lifetime."

To view more photos, click here.