At 62 years old Juhani (Jussi) Mattila is the oldest sailor competing in the 2008 Paralympic Sailing Regatta.

 

Mattila celebrated the 26^th anniversary of his diving accident this year, just as he does every year. Mattila suffered a spinal cord injury when he dove into a partially submerged log. With considerable timber clearing operations in Finland, partially submerged logs are part of the seascape.

 

With the encouragement of one of the Finnish Olympic Yngling team’s fathers, Mattila started sailing 2.4 Meters.

 

Mattila competed in the 1988 2.4 Meter Championships, which were hosted in Finland. He chartered the boat that he used for the regatta from the Disabled Sailing Federation.

 

Enjoying the sport so much, Mattila purchase his first boat in 1989.

 

Each of his 2.4 Meter boats has been named after his daughter, Ilona, who was 13 at the time of the accident. He is sailing Ilona V at the 2008 Paralympic Sailing Regatta.

 

This is Mattila’s second Paralympics. He competed in the Sydney 2000 Paralympics 2.4 Meter also.