Canadian Yachting June 2021 - 10

Sarah with her Laser Radial in Toronto

combining competition, conditioning and mindset to achieve
winning conditions.
Competition is self-explanatory - eating bad air in the back of
the fleet for years then fighting to match the top tier, especially
from beyond North America, is humbling but necessary.
Conditioning is a matter of hard work; sailing and hiking for
long periods needs to become easy so the sailor can concentrate on wind shifts, strategy and the competition. You can't
achieve top-three dominance for ten straight races in a 90-boat
Midwinters fleet as Sarah did this winter, without putting in a lot
of work. This is a particular tribute to Sarah who has had to work
though being diagnosed at age 14 with the genetic blood disorder Alpha-thalassemia, which reduces the amount of hemoglobin
her body can produce. Having less oxygen carried throughout
her body could put her at a competitive disadvantage, but she
works hard in the gym to ensure that her endurance level is up to
gold medal standard.
This will be particularly important in Tokyo where the heat
is intense and dehydration is a perpetual hazard. When the
Canadian team sailed in Japan previously, members were issued
ice-vests to mitigate the unbearable heat.
That brings us to mind and attitude, the factors that separate
the winners from the pack. " The credo of 'let's not complain,
let's not make excuses, embrace the pain' has helped me make
the big jump, " Sarah explains, noting this is an ongoing process
supported by the Team sports psychologist and her coaches.
OUTLOOK FOR JAPAN
Sarah plans to win, then to use that experience to " lead by
example " and grow the sport in Canada. Canada's Olympians
have all dedicated years and years of intense preparation to
getting to Tokyo. For Sarah, who was Rolex Sailor of the
Year in 2019, it is both a beginning as well as a goal in itself.
Will she plan for Paris 2024? " I am not even close
to being done. The Olympics is big and tough, but a

CANADIAN YACHTING | JUNE 2021

After a day sailing...to compete at these levels, Sarah needs to be on the
water as much as possible and that is very expensive for a Canadian
training for the Olympics. Photo Credit: Helly Hansen.

bronze is not good enough. I want to be dominant. "
In this country our sailing Olympians often are neglected
compared to those competing in other sports. The Canadian
team has had an uphill battle and when, as we hope and
expect, Sarah puts on her medal this July, we Canadians
should deliver the broad appreciation that she has worked for.
Epilogue:
Sarah Douglas is one of nine members of the Canadian Sailing
team. To learn about the other members and news about the
team, go to:
https://bit.ly/3toj38O
https://bit.ly/3xPKfRu
https://bit.ly/33iduyg
https://bit.ly/3b3ONty

https://www.bit.ly/3toj38O https://www.bit.ly/3xPKfRu https://www.bit.ly/33iduyg https://www.bit.ly/3b3ONty

Canadian Yachting June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting June 2021