Brendan Sailing instructor prepares for his next steps
On the surface, it would appear that Evan McCarthy is your average, talented sailor. With years of experience on Broadneck High School’s racing team and a US Sailing Level 2 Instructor certification under his belt, it would be easy to think that he was born in a catboat wearing a life jacket!
Yet a peek behind the curtain reveals a different story: One of an individual with Learning Differences who discovered how the sport of sailing could change his life forever.
“I have severe but properly treated Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and anxiety,” said Evan, “I was diagnosed around first grade, back in a time when little was known about these Learning Differences.”
School, home, friends, everything was complicated by the constant struggle for his attention.
How did Evan develop this passion for sailing? Kids with ADHD have a hard time keeping focus on things, as well as sitting still. Since his family were boaters, it was natural that he gave it a try.
That is when they came across Brendan Sailing, when Evan was first exposed to people who were in the “same boat” as him. That first summer, when Evan was 10, marked a major change in his life: “It was one of the first times where I was in an environment of people just like me, and I felt like I fit in” said Evan. “They were just other friendly kids that I was sailing and having a good time with.”
While his journey, which spanned five summers as a camper at Brendan Sailing, three summers as a counselor, and two summers as head instructor, was not always easy, Evan persevered and gained the tools to not just become a successful sailor, but to conquer every obstacle in his path.
It was this genuine zeal for teaching that motivated Evan to become Brendan’s head instructor. In this position, Evan has aided in creating a curriculum unlike any other.
Through his time at Brendan, Evan has grown as both an individual and as a sailor and has gone on to shape the program in incredible ways. Next year, he will graduate from Washington College with a dual major in mathematics and computer science.
A huge accomplishment for a “problem child with no discipline.” Brendan Sailing helped make that possible.
The Brendan Corp., parent organization of Brendan Sailing, a 501(C) (3) non-profit founded in 1985, is dedicated to building pathways for self-confidence and personal growth in children with Learning Differences through individually tailored experiential instruction in sailing. For more information, please visit brendansailing.org