DEREK SUNDQUIST

Self reliance is priceless

In the summer of 2019, TRAILS participants tested out the latest sailboat technology - the TetraCraft — designed at the University of Utah through TRAILS and Tetradapt. Derek Sundquist was featured in a Deseret News story by Amy Donaldson

Innovative watercraft, ski systems give those with spinal cord injuries freedom
Deseret News, Aug. 5, 2019

Like any sailor, Derek Sundquist soaked in the sights, smells and sensations of sailing on a breezy, sunny summer morning.

But unlike most sailors, the 52-year-old’s exuberance had as much to do with the fact that he was in control as it did the joy of the sport.

“The simultaneous feelings of self-reliance and sheer delight ... are priceless,” said Sundquist, a quadriplegic who is able to experience the exhilaration of sailing thanks to a University of Utah creation - the Tetra Watercraft. “The experience also emboldens my vision for what great things my future ...holds.”

In other words, someone like Sundquist, who needs help with just about every one of life’s monotonies from eating to showering to getting to various medical appointments, can slice across waves in complete command of a vessel.