"My Newfound Passion" by Valentino Tischio

After growing up around the water for 20 years of my life, being around boats, and always dreaming to be on the grandest ships… I finally set sail on my own. Over this past summer I had the itch to learn how to sail, so I did. I signed up for an Adult Learn to Sail program at my local Yacht club and thanks to the BreatheStrong foundation for granting me a scholarship I was able to participate. During the sailing program I learned the basics of how to sail, the different points of sail, equipment on a sailboat and other integral knowledge needed to sail a boat. The most important part of the whole adventure is that I met instructors and members of the yacht club that had boats and that were willing to take me sailing and “show me the ropes”. I took advantage of this, going sailing on many different types of boats and even racing on Wednesday evenings in the local club night races. Within all this I honed my sailing skills and learned so much more than I could have from YouTube or reading an entire book on sailing. Funnily enough, I did actually end up reading a guide to sailing which was quite comprehensive and I still learned more on the water than I did on the page. I have attached a photo of me during the learn to sail program where you can see me skippering a J80, a 26 foot race boat.

After I completed the learn to sail program I continued learning how to sail with one specific instructor from the learn to sail program who had a Catalina 22, a small day sailer from the 70s that is built for comfort, not speed. I didn’t mind this since I enjoyed the relaxing nature of just sailing to the islands in Lake Erie or just sailing about rather aimlessly learning new maneuvers or new terminology. Fast forward a few months of sailing with this certain instructor and he mentions he wants to purchase a larger boat, so of course my logical response is, “Well are you selling your old boat?” Turns out he was!

A few weeks later, I made the most logical decision of the summer and bought a Catalina 22 sailboat! I finally had a boat to call my own! I was so enthusiastic that I finally owned my own boat! I am so excited for next summer when I get to sail more and hopefully do a few weekend trips on my own boat. The best part of everything is that when I am out on the water sailing it somehow makes me forget that I have a VEST waiting at home for me or that I forgot to sterilize my nebulizers for the following day. Thanks to the physicality of sailing I get my exercise in as well while I am out on the water. I’m so grateful to have found this new passion!