Dee Smith, one of our sponsored sailors who grew up sailing in the San Francisco Bay area, has a wealth of sailing experience. Among his achievements he can count 3 America’s Cup campaigns, 1 Whitbread and 1 Volvo Ocean Race campaign, winning 6 World Championships, and competing in 8 Admiral’s Cups.

But this year he can add the Paralympics.

In 2007, during the Valencia America’s Cup, Dee was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer – a profound shock, considering he had never smoked. The cancer was gradually eating away at his spine and he was told he had a few more months to live. Thanks to a partnership with John’s Hopkins, their Orthopedic Oncology team, and new experimental drugs, he survived.

There was more to come. During the 2013 America’s Cup in San Francisco, where Dee was working with Emirates Team New Zealand as their Local Knowledge and Strategy Expert, he was stuck by a car whilst cycling to work. He went through even more major spine surgery. In 2014 he was declared disabled.

This was not something to keep Dee off the water. He was keen to get back involved with sailing and approached the technical director of the US Olympics team with a coaching offer. Dee was told that if he wanted to help win medals, then he shouldn't coach - he should sail. That’s exactly what he did.

Now, at 62 years of age, Dee Smith has become a 2.4mR sailor and he qualified this summer to be part of Team USA at the Paralympics in Rio, which take places from the 7^th to the 18^th of September.

"I tried the 2.4mr in Feb 2015 in Miami," Dee said. "This was after a friend told me that I would be able to help the team by sailing in the Paralympics. I was un-aware of the qualifications or the boat at all. So I thought why not check into it. My medical problems over the last 9 plus years have left me with limitations, but I was one to just carry on with life and sailing, in big boats. Lucky for me, my sailing positions on the boats were in the back of the boat where I did not have to do anything physical. It took till April 2015 to understand that one, I more than qualified to sail, I liked the boat and the competition was very strong. After taking a 10th in Hyeres 2015, my first international regatta, I was all in."

Dee has been engaged in a rigorous training program since he qualified for Team USA, but we asked him how that compared with his previous experience for other big sailing events.

"In a big boat program, there is a team in place. You bring in different experts and manage them toward a goal. For this campaign, I have taken the same approach to what has worked for me and the teams I have sailed with in the last 40 some years for international competition. Working from the Paralympics back, what would be needed to be competitive enough to medal. Having only 18 months to catch up, we had to use our time wisely. From that first blue print, I started to put the plan together to achieve each item that would take to get to the goal. The first thing was to get other people involved and could help support the effort. The most important was my wife, Joc Thompson, because without her, there was no way I could get this effort to first base. A long the way while learning in each regatta, we looked at the good but mostly at what we can do to improve the boat and my sailing. We adjusted the plan. At first it was about how to sail the boat. Then it was the speed, sails, rig and boat. All of which is an ongoing program. Then the last thing was the venue, Rio. I think the most important thing always is to sail the course well. Hopefully my time in Rio over the last 3 months (50 days) will help me sail good enough to achieve the goal."

We’re proud to be Dee's sponsor – and wish him the best of luck. You can read about Dee’s training in the run up to the Paralympics on his blog and you can follow him on Facebook.