S2 E4 Come Sail Away With Deborah Mellen

The Impossible Dream, a universally accessible catamaran, is dedicated to raising awareness of barrier-free design and improving the quality of life for people with disabilities through sailing. Thanks to folks like Deborah Mellen, owner of this amazing vessel, the Impossible Dream is POSSIBLE! Deborah, who has been paralyzed since 1989 following a car accident, had never sailed herself until being introduced to the seas by Dr. Barth Green while undergoing therapies at the Miami Project To Cure Paralysis. She was hooked the 1st time out with a local adaptive water recreation organization (Shake-A-Leg Miami). "Sailing reacquainted me with the feelings of exhilaration, excitement, and pure joy". The Impossible Dream is currently on her 7th annual 5-month-long Summer Voyage, which encompasses a 4000+ mile journey from Miami to Maine and back. Along the way, the vessel stops in over a dozen ports to collaborate with rehab hospitals, advocacy organizations, and disability groups to take over 1,300 people sailing. Deborah was kind enough to join me from the Impossible Dream as it made its way through the waters off Massachusetts for this week's QuadCast. Special thanks to Dr. Trevor Dyson-Hudson for bringing us together.