Ariel Kinarthy, 11, of Vancouver,
is a participant in the White Sail certification program. His
mom, Leah, knows that sailing is an extremely important outlet
for her son. "We just moved here recently and when we found
out about the Disabled Sailing Association we very excited."
"Ariel was nervous about using
the sling to get in and out the boat, but once he was out there
it was wonderful. He has the joystick, and for the first time
controls something of his own," Leah said.
"Since no one else in our
family sails, he doing something the rest of us can't do. He's
not in a chair when he's out on the water. There is an element
of freedom when you can leave your wheel chair behind. It's hard
to explain, but it means everything to him. It's given him a real
sense of accomplishment, and he is very aware that they are not
lowering the net for him like they do in tennis," the proud
mom said.
"Since Ariel has taken up
sailing, we've noticed a change is his attitude. Now he's playing
power soccer and he wants to try power hockey. After he completes
his White Sail he'll be on his own."
