Come Sail Away, come sail away

Skippers with disabilities from Shake-A-Leg Miami teach University of Miami Miller School of Medicine physical therapy students about sailing – and life.

By University of Miami

May 23^rd, 2024

Since its launch in 1990, the Integrated Sports and Leisure course, an elective in the Department of Physical Therapy, has given nearly 1,000 students insight into the world of adaptive sports, communicating with people with disabilities and transitioning skills from the classroom to the real world.

Conceived by Robert Gailey, professor of physical therapy at the Miller School and director of the Functional Outcomes Research Evaluation (F.O.R.E.) Center, and Harry Horgan, president and co-founder of Shake-A-Leg Miami, the annual class is a joint venture between the University and the nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities and veterans enjoy the water. The concept has taken sail, with alumni bringing adaptive recreational programs in water skiing, kayaking, and backpacking to cities across the country. Gailey and his colleagues presented the model this year at the National American Physical Therapy Association meeting.

After two evening sessions where lead skipper Patrick LoDuca, a certified captain from Shake-A-Leg Miami, covered basics like safety, winds, and knots, students and skippers met weekly at the Shake-A-Leg Miami waterfront. Students learned how to safely transfer the skippers, who live with a range of disabilities, onto the boats before setting sail for the afternoon. When it came time for the final exam, students put their new skills to the test by sailing four hours to Boca Chita Key, an island in Biscayne Bay, for an overnight camping trip.