Paralympic Team

2008 Paralympic Sailing Team

Names of all individuals on team

Nicholas Salvatore Scandone, Maureen McKinnon

Paralympic Games experience

Paralympic Games Beijing 2008, gold (SKUD 18 Class)

Comments to support the individual’s nomination

The pair of Nicholas Salvatore Scandone and Maureen McKinnon won gold at the Paralympic Games Beijing 2008. Both McKinnon and Scandone share a remarkably inspiring story of their journey to gold. Scandone's health was failing in the year leading up to the Games and yet the pair won the gold medal before Scandone passed away just six months after the Games, while McKinnon became the first woman to represent the U.S. in sailing at the Paralympic Games and the first woman to win gold in the Paralympic Games. Scandone was chosen by his fellow members of the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team with the honor of being the flag bearer for the U.S. team at the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Beijing. Prior to his passing, Scandone was a collegiate national champion from the University of California - Irvine, and later placed second at the Olympic Trials in the Men's 470 class and was the Rolex Yachtsmen of Year in 2005 after beating an 88-boat fleet of able-bodied and disabled sailors in the 2.4-meter open world championship regatta.

2022 Paralympic Team Ballot Bios

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2008 U.S. Paralympic Sailing Team