After #6…
What a busy several months it’s been! Let me backtrack to how I finished off 2022 and what I’ve been up to after winning the World Championships in October.
After an amazing time in Cagliari, where I won my 6th consecutive World Championship title, I took a few weeks off just to enjoy the feeling and embrace all the emotions. I visited family in the Czech Republic, where family members and friends enjoyed watching the replays from the World Championship finals over some Czech pilsners. I went back on the water just for fun on my first ever trip to Tarifa, Spain, and was - quite literally - blown away. I got to spend a few days in Barcelona reuniting with sailing friends and celebrating Halloween. I even got the opportunity to participate in a trial for the New York Yacht Club Youth & Women’s America’s Cup teams in Pensacola in November. Visiting the American Magic base in Pensacola, Florida, was an incredible experience. Not only was I inspired to get involved in the next America’s Cup in the fall of 2024, but seeing the professionalism of this project sparked a flame in me to go further in optimizing my own campaign. It left me feeling extremely motivated to take the next steps in making my Olympic campaign as professional as possible, and leave no stone unturned in my journey towards the 2024 Games.
I returned to training in mid November with a block in - you guessed it - Hyeres (where else?!). Unfortunately, I got stuck in bed fighting a nasty cold for the first several days of the trip, but was eventually able to get some solid training sessions in and even compete in the French Nationals. It was a great opportunity to race in a combined fleet with some very strong male riders, and I identified some weaknesses in my starting game and speed in light wind conditions. It was also my first time doing Thanksgiving in Europe and I got to celebrate with a training session in really tough conditions and dinner with amazing friends.
Next, it was time to head to Miami, an iconic venue when it comes to sailing during winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Although I’d spent a little bit of time in Miami during the Covid winter of 2020-2021, I’ll consider this block in December of 2022 my first proper experience in Miami. It started off with a big US Sailing Team camp including all the Olympic sailing classes and featuring lots of presentations, team bonding, and long sessions on the water. This annual camp is one of the only times in the year when all American sailors from all the Olympic sailing classes come together at a single venue to train. We started the mornings off with a team workout and fitness testing at Train 8Nine in Coconut Grove. Then, everyone headed to Miami Yacht Club, where a big breakfast awaited, followed by presentations from elite coaches, Olympic medalists, sports psychologists, nutritionists, and other experts. Next, we’d eat lunch and head out on the water. Miami was a perfect venue to work on some light wind skills that I’ve struggled with in the past (one might say the 21m and I never really got along). Although it was a really tiring block with a busy schedule and long days, it was incredibly valuable team bonding time, and I was happy to get to know my teammates from the other classes better and share that time with them.
After three long weeks of training, I was ready to take a short break. I went down to my Christmas home in Baja California to meet up with my parents for the holidays. Although I was “taking a break”, I got on the water almost every day. I went winging with my parents and enjoyed the big swell of Los Barriles. I also couldn’t resist a nice sunset or light wind session zooming around on my race gear, so I got several hours on big kites riding until dark in La Ventana. And, of course, spent lots of quality time reconnecting with longtime friends.
Winter training is already paying off, but there is still a lot of work to do in the coming months, so stay tuned.
None of this would be possible without my incredible sponsors, partners, and supporters. First, a massive thank you to my coach Chris for his unwavering hard work and commitment to my campaign. We truly have an incredible team here. Next, I have to thank my parents for their constant support throughout this entire process. Thank you to my equipment suppliers and sponsors - Flysurfer Kiteboarding, Levitaz Hydrofoils, Tarifa Foil Boards, SK Shapes, Robline Ropes, and Sailmon Instruments. Thank you to my main partners Mirabaud, the St Francis Sailing Foundation, and the US Sailing Team, which allow me to chase this dream full time. This takes a village, and I’m very lucky to have such a supportive team behind me.