Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring/Summer 2019 | Page 39

SIX STAR Q&A
AT H L E T E P R O F I L E
CRESTING THE WAVE:
SAILOR TOM RAMSHAW
BY DAVID SWALES • PHOTOS BY GREG KOLZ
Spending summers at the family cottage on Stoney Lake in Ontario, Tom Ramshaw learned to sail at a young age. In 2011,
he received early recognition for his skill at the tiller, winning the Nathan Cowan Memorial Award for the best developing
sailor in Canada. Hooked on the sport, he soon realized that to develop his talents further, he would have to go where he
could consistently train and compete at the highest level.
He quit engineering school at Queen’s University to sail full-time and pursue his dream of qualifying for the Canadian
Olympic Team. After great success in one sailing class, he took a different tack and propelled his dream forward. Changes
in his approach and a recent fifth place at the Finn World Championships have made Ramshaw our country’s best sailing
medal hope for the 2020 Olympic Summer Games.
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