Paralympic Gold Medalist Maureen McKinnon to Deliver Sargent College Commencement Address

Maureen McKinnon, 2008 paralympic sailing gold medalist, will deliver the commencement address for Boston University College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College. McKinnon will deliver her address at BU’s Track & Tennis Center on Sunday, May 19 at 9:00 a.m to more than 3,000 guests and the approximately 500 undergraduate and graduate students earning degrees in health disciplines including physical therapy, speech-language pathology, and occupational therapy.

In 2008, McKinnon became the first woman to represent the United States in sailing at a Paralympic Games. With the help of fellow crewmen Nick Scandone, the two won gold in a 2-person keelboat (SKUD-18), in Beijing, China. Her victory made her the first woman, and first disabled sailor, to receive a gold medal in the sport of sailing.

The Marblehead Massachusetts resident was paralyzed from the waist down after a life-altering-13-foot fall. A chance encounter with a fellow wheelchair-bound sailor inspired McKinnon to keep sailing and ultimately win gold. McKinnon offers a motivational story for Sargent College students and their families on the importance of pushing limits, overcoming adversity, and valuing the contribution of those in the health and rehabilitation professions.

McKinnon has compiled an impressive resume as an athlete and disability advocate. In 2008, she was shortlisted for the prestigious Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and ESPN’s Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPY) awards. A year later, she was named the US Olympic Sailing’s Committee Paralympics sportswoman of the year and received the Paul C. Hearne Leadership Award from the American Association of Persons with Disabilities. She has also been named the New England Wheelchair Athletic Association Female Athlete of the Year, won the Women Making a Difference Award from Zonta Club, and earned the George Washington Medal of Honor from the Freedoms Foundation. She previously served as the Adaptive Director at the Piers Park Sailing Center, where she pioneered an innovating sailing program which won national awards for its work with adults and youth with disabilities.

Today, McKinnon is a keynote, public, and motivational speaker as well as an advocate for persons with disabilities. She serves on the Board of Directors of the US Sailing Association and is also a Board Member for the Greater Boston Chapter of National Spinal Cord Injury Association as well as an advisor to Greater Boston Access to Recreation, a volunteer organization that promotes recreation and accessible activities for the disabled.

She is currently training for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.