After immigrating from Italy to the United States, Michael Stefanone’s father made a purchase that wouldn’t only impact him but would play a significant role in his kid's future. Decades later, this legacy still lives on.
“A fourteen-foot small little wood Pram,” Stefanone said.
With that Pram, Stefanone’s father taught himself and his kids how to sail. By eight years old, Stefanone along with his siblings were able to sail regularly. Stefanone's love for this skill has only grown stronger as it still takes up a big portion of his life today.
While being a professor of communication at UB, he still makes time to do something that he said “means a lot of things.” Although it isn’t his first dream, it still managed to become his favorite activity.
“I wanted to be a pilot, and [sailing] has all the same aerodynamic principles except the wing is vertical,” Stefanone said.
“So my pilot dream didn’t work out but this is close,” he said.
While sailing fulfilled an unattained dream, it also acted as glue for other aspects of Stefanone’s life. It created a platform to be with loved ones in nature, allowed him to gain confidence in his abilities to face whatever challenges awaited him on his sailing trips and became a part of who he is.
Stefanone has been sailing his own boat for years now, as a licensed captain.
Despite the physical and mental workout that sailing requires, Stefanone can’t help but see the beauty of it. The same challenge that faced him is what forged him to like it even more.
“I think because of the challenges that are inherent, I think it’s unpredictable, I think [sailing] changes fast,” Stefanone said. “So all of those things mirror life.”
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Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
