Once upon a time, long ago, there was this little boy who grew up on the Swedish west coast. His family had a Summer home on the Isle of Tjörn. The house was rather simple, with a well for drinking water and an outhouse located a short distance from the main house. My dad and my uncle shared the house along with a 33' sailboat name "Capella". Summers were long and bright!
They would split the Summers between the boat and the house. The families gave each other gifts that were intended for common use, such as boat-cushions, fenders and whatever else could be used aboard Capella. Whatever the house lacked in amenities, it was well compensated for with warmth and love! The waterfront property had a dock and there were several small islands within wading and swimming distance. There was a model sailboat that the kids ran alongside sailing back and forth in the shallow water. The family also had a utility rowboat that was rigged up for sailing. With no keel or centerboard, they would ail to nearby islands and oftentimes had to row back. This was my paradise!
Fast forward to 2005 when I founded Team Paradise. It was after the Olympic Games in Sydney. I had the need of giving back and I was smitten by the Olympic Spirit. Our focus was on athletes with Paralympic ambitions. We had huge success with podium finishes in 2008, 2012 and 2016. But unfortunately, sailing was then eliminated from the Paralympic competition. Our mission and focus had to evolve!
We gradually began offering sailing for disabled Veterans and youth with special needs. It was a no-brainer. We moved to the US Sailing Center (USSC) in 2015 where we inherited their community service commitment and began taking kids from City of Miami Parks & Recreation out sailing.
Team Paradise played a role in the lease negotiations between the USSC and The City of Miami. Our outreach program had to increase and began sailing with kids from organizations like Breakthrough Miami, Urban Promise Miami, and Miami-Dade Parks Therapeutic Recreation and Inclusion. We served 550 kids in 2019, but it all came to a grinding halt with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Miami-Dade County released a statement on June 8th that Summer Camp is allowed back and the return if sailing is a fact! We can now pick-up where we left off.
Our Summer Camp is based on my experience growing up in Scandinavia. it's named "Bay Play" for a reason. Whether kids have prior knowledge of sailing, or not, it has to be fun, safe, and playful. Like in a restaurant or any other establishment, for patrons to return, their experience has to be the best!. Our boats are modern and very well maintained. We do not overload our boats and we prioritize performance. Thanks to becoming a Siebler Sailors Program, we now have a new fleet of RS Fevas.
Our Summer Camp is not all about sailing, it's about a shared experience discovering Biscayne Bay and the Habitat in, on and above it. It's about sailing from "Paradise Island 305" to various destinations around our part of the Bay. Sand bars like Vizcaya, Key Biscayne West Point, and Nixon's Beach.
Biscayne Bay is wonderful and it is the sole reason why I moved to Miami as a young man. It's my privilege to introduce this paradise-like resource to our youth in hopes of making a difference in our county! Come and sail with us and explore what it has to offer!
Let’s Go Sailing!
Magnus Liljedahl