SHAKE-A-LEG-NEWPORT
TO INITIATE NEW SAILING EVENT
First Clagett Memorial Cup To Be Held This Month
NEWPORT, R.I. (August 7, 2003) – The formation
of the Clagett Memorial Cup has been announced
jointly by Paul Callahan (Bourne, Mass./Newport,
R.I.), Chairman and CEO of Shake-A-Leg Newport,
and Judy McLennan (Easton, Md.) and Stephanie
McLennan (Newport, R.I.), daughter and grand-daughter,
respectively, of the late C. Thomas Claggett,
Jr. The inaugural event is set to take place August
21-24, 2003, in the world famous sailing capitol
of Newport, Rhode Island.
The
hallmark of the event will be the combination
of an annual regatta with a dedicated coaching
component. The specific goal of the event -- to
take good disabled sailors and position them to
move up to elite-level sailing – is enhanced
by a long-range goal of increasing the talent
pool for future Paralympic competition. Unique
due to its purpose and intended perpetuity for
disabled sailors, the event will take place at
the newly expanded Shake-A-Leg Sailing Center
at Fort Adams, with the McLennans and Shake-A-Leg
Newport as co-hosts. As a pilot program, this
year’s event will be open to Shake-A-Leg
Newport sailors who will benefit from classroom
instruction and on-the-water coaching on Thursday
and Friday, with racing for the perpetual trophy
on Saturday and Sunday. Serving as both head coach
and Regatta Chair is Scott Leppert who was recently
named head sailing coach at Washington College
(Chestertown, Md.). Leppert had previously been
head coach at Roger Williams University (Bristol,
R.I.) where he led the sailing team to its highest
ever district ranking.
"This
event will be the first of its kind in the country
combining top-level instruction followed by a
competition for a perpetual trophy for disabled
people,” explained Callahan, himself a C-4
quadriplegic. His personal evolution from a novice
sailor in 1996, to one of the best disabled skippers
in the world – he represented the U.S.A.
at the 2000 Paralympic Games – gives him
an excellent perspective on the opportunity the
event offers. “We want to thank the McLennans
for all of their effort, support and resources
to make this happen."
As
a youth Tom Clagett was paralyzed, and although
his condition was a temporary one, the experience
left him with an enduring respect for the potential
and accomplishments of disabled people. Clagett
learned to sail on Chesapeake Bay and later shared
his love for sailing with his wife, Nancy Leiter
Claggett. After her death in 1977, his support
was the driving force behind the creation of the
Leiter Trophy and the Ida Lewis Trophy, two US
SAILING national championships that were created
to elevate the skills of junior women sailors.
Clagett
was devoted to sailing, had a love of honest rivalry
and was dedicated to quality competition. “He
always reminded everyone that they could achieve
anything they wanted if they just put their mind
to it,” said Judy McLennan. “He would
be very pleased that the Clagett Memorial Cup
was being initiated to assist disabled sailors
to further their sailing capabilities in hopes
of bringing home the gold.”
About
Shake-A-Leg
Shake-A-Leg
Newport is the oldest and most progressive disabled
sailing program in the country exclusively serving
physically and mentally challenged people. Among
other programs, Shake-A-Leg Newport offers therapy
programs throughout the summer months at Salve
Regina University (Newport, R.I.) for people with
neurological impairments concentrating on the
mind-body-spirit phenomenon.
Shake-A-Leg
Newport’s internationally recognized adaptive
sailing program is located at Fort Adams and provides
recreational, instructional and competitive sailing
opportunities for those who wish to build confidence.
For more information on their programs, contact
Shake-A-Leg-Newport at P.O. Box 1264, Newport,
R.I., 401-849-8898; or visit them online at www.shakealeg.org
