Ships Ahoy! Injured Veterans Learn to Sail at 3-Day Clinic, Build Skills and Boost Confidence
Toms River, NJ -(AmmoLand.com)- This week, the injured veterans of Team Semper Fi and Team America’s Fund will head to Toms River, NJ for first ever Semper Fi Fund Sailing Camp, learning the essentials of the sport while building confidence and camaraderie with fellow service members.
Under the tutelage of top-tier instructors, 20 athletes from Semper Fi Fund’s rehabilitative sports program will learn the basics—sail setting, boat balance, and more—on fixed keel boats before setting out for a friendly race on the last day of the camp. The clinic will be held in conjunction with the Toms River Yacht Club and the Ocean County College Sailing Center.
WHEN: Friday, April 22, 9 am–4 pm OR
Saturday, April 23, 9 am–4 pm OR
Sunday, April 24, 9 am–4 pm
WHERE: Toms River Yacht Club, 1464 Riviera Ave, Toms River, NJ 08753
Team Semper Fi and Team America’s Fund are made up of service members and veterans who are overcoming significant challenges after facing injury or illness while in service to our country, and sport can play a significant role in the recovery process.
What’s more, “being on the water has an incredibly calming effect, even while the sport requires tremendous mental and physical concentration,” said Bobby Donnelly, Team Semper Fi and Team America’s Fund Senior Manager. “It’s a skill that can last a lifetime.”
Service members include:
Todd Morland: Todd served in the Marine Corps for nine years as an Amphibious Assault Vehicle crewman, at four different duty stations and overseas on one combat deployment. He suffered major injuries on a motocross training run, including one to his spinal cord, forcing him to medically retire after a year of rehab. Team Semper Fi’s sports and recreational activities have played a huge role in his recovery—by his account, he’s participated in “just about every adaptive sport” before settling on alpine ski racing, which he’s now pursuing full-time.
Edgardo Gabriel Gonzalez Chacon: Edgardo served 7 years in the Marine Corps infantry as a rifleman and a tow gunner, including three deployments to Afghanistan. After not one, but several IED explosions, Edgardo came home suffering severe TBI and chronic PTSD—but despite his injuries, Edgardo continues to thrive. He competed as a member of the US Paralympic soccer team and is currently pursuing a college degree with concentrations in Film and Criminology.
Steve Bartosh: Steve joined the Marine Corps in 2005, serving deployments in Iraq and southwest Asia regions before leaving honorably in 2009. Steve was diagnosed with both TBI and PTSD following his service, but was able to complete both technical college and earn a four-year university degree while navigating his recovery. Today, he owns a small business with his wife, but still finds time to participate in Team Semper Fi events.
About Semper Fi Fund:
The Semper Fi Fund provides urgently needed resources and lifetime support for wounded, critically ill and injured members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Case managers from the Semper Fi Fund work one-on-one with service members and veterans in order to understand and support their individual needs right now and throughout their lifetime. We keep our overhead low so our impact on the lives of service members and veterans is greater. The Semper Fi Fund is one of only three veteran charities to receive an “A+” rating from The American Institute of Philanthropy and a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.
For more information, visit: www.semperfifund.org.