US Sailing is excited to announce the Gold medal winning 2008 Paralympic Sailing Team of Nick Scandone and Maureen McKinnon has been named as finalist 2022 inductees to the Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame in the Paralympic Team category.
Sailing fans can cast their vote once a day through May 16. to help determine the Class of 2022, which will mark the first class inducted into the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame since 2019.
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The Class of 2022 will be announced on Wednesday, June 1, and inducted on Friday, June 24, during a ceremony at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
About Nick Scandone
Nick Scandone started his sailing career sailing Sabots at Balboa Yacht Club; moving to college sailing when he enrolled at UC Irvine, where he was an All-American. After college, Nick campaigned in the 470, narrowly missing team selection in 1992.
In 2002, Nick was diagnosed with ALS. He decided to quit his job and pursue a medal in the Paralympic Games. He began in the 2.4-metre keelboat, winning the 2005 Open World Championship. He was named US Sailing’s Rolex Yachtsman of the Year in 2005, making him the only Paralympic sailor ever to achieve the honor. By the end of 2006, his condition had advanced to the point where he was physically unable to participate in the 2.4-metre class. Scandone moved to the SKUD 18 and went on to win a gold medal at the U.S. Paralympic trials in 2007. In 2008, he went to the Paralympic Games and was honored as the U.S. flag bearer as he went on to win a gold medal. Nick passed away shortly after, in January of 2009.
About Maureen McKinnon
Maureen McKinnon learned to sail when she was 20. In 1995, she fell 13 feet off a seawall while on vacation in Maine and became paralyzed. After her accident, she tried racing again but the J/24s she once sailed were too challenging and the Freedom 20s designed for individuals with disabilities were too tame. She gave up sailing for a while, until a chance meeting with Paralympic skipper Rick Doerr, who invited her aboard his triple-handed Sonar as crew. She made the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team with Nick in the SKUD-18 and has found success once again in 2016 with new skipper, Ryan Porteous. Maureen was the first woman to be a member of the U.S. Paralympic Sailing Team and the first woman to represent the United States and win gold in Paralympic sailing. She also served on the US Sailing Board of Directors for five years.
