The U.S. Rowing Masters National Championships have concluded at Nathan Benderson Park and a Suncoast resident took home gold! Elliot Vazquez is a member of New Crew SRQ Collegiate Rowing Club and his win is even more extraordinary because he is paralyzed from the T5 and T6 region down.
Vazquez was a high school star athlete prior to a devastating car accident in 2013. The accident left him paralyzed from a severe spinal cord injury. This didn't stop him from finishing high school and earning an Associates Degree from the State College of Florida. (See his amazing FIRST PUBLIC STEPS as he crossed the graduation stage in 2017, start around the 2:30 mark)
Elliot started rowing and never looked back! He plans to create an adaptive sports community in Sarasota and Manatee Counties to give everyone the resources they need to excel.