Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Spring/Summer 2019 | Page 40

AT H L E T E P R O F I L E
What first inspired you to take up competitive
sailing? me for the Rio Olympics in 2016 and, more recently,
getting fifth at the 2018 World Championships.
My dad was a big sailor and we spent lots of time on
the water. I tried a lot of sports when I was young, like
hockey, but I seemed to have a competitive edge with
sailing. It just evolved from there. What would you consider to be your greatest
disappointment?
When did you realize you had the potential to
become a world-class sailor?
I’ve had a lot of ups and downs with my sailing career;
however, when I got a chance to train with the top guys
in the world, I realized [that] if I put in the work, I could
be competitive at the highest level.
Who has been the biggest influence in your life?
Early on, it was my parents, of course; however, the
real driving force behind my competitive sailing was
my first coach, Vaughn Harrison, who has continued
to help me navigate through my career and my life
choices. He is still my biggest mentor.
What is the biggest difference in the approach to
competitive sailing in Canada and elsewhere?
I think it’s pretty similar everywhere at the national
level. How you grow up with the sport is really the
biggest influence. One thing that Canada does better
than most countries is the holistic approach to the
sport—focusing on mind, body and skills, not just time
on the water.
When was the happiest time of your life?
Competitive sailing is a sport that takes a long time to
progress. Really, the last six months has been my best
time with fifth place at the 2018 World Championships
and other recent World Cup success. Mentally, I feel
really good.
What would you consider to be your greatest
accomplishment?
Two things really: switching to the Finn class and getting
eighth at the World Championships, which qualified
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In 2015, I choked at the Laser World Championships
in Kingston, Ontario, which left me out of qualifying
to compete at the Pan Am Games in Toronto. I was
so upset, I left for Europe and didn’t stick around to
watch. It was just after that I decided to switch from the
Laser to the Finn class.
Why did you decide to change classes prior to the
Rio Olympic Games in 2016?
There were four guys on the national team at that time
competing for one Olympic spot in the Laser class.
One of those guys was getting great results, so it was
pretty obvious he was going to get that spot. I switched
to the Finn class, immediately saw some good results
and qualified for the Rio Games.
What will you change with your approach to the
Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020 compared to how
you prepared for the Rio games in 2016?
When I qualified for Rio, I had worked really hard
and assumed that things would just fall into place
at the Olympics. Unfortunately, I learned the hard
way that it doesn’t work like that. This time, I will
plan better and work to peak for the Games. I won’t
take anything for granted.
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
I love summers at the cottage on Stoney Lake, but I like
moving around and being near beaches at the same
time. I think I would like to live on a big sailboat and
travel around the world.
Outside of sailing, what is on your bucket list?
Do the Ironman Triathlon, learn to fly a plane and learn
to speak Spanish fluently—I spend a lot of time training
in Spain.