Sail Canada and Wind Athletes announce investment for Canadian Team going to the Olympic Games

Sail Canada and Wind Athletes announce investment for Canadian Team going to the Olympic Games © Sail Canada

Working with Wind Athletes Canada, Sail Canada is pleased to announce a sponsorship of $50,000 dollars that will go towards athlete expenses leading up to and preparing for the Olympic Games.

"The Olympic Games can be a whirlwind experience. Most athletes are there for the very first time, but even veterans can be overwhelmed. We are delighted to be working with Sail Canada to create the right kind of Team cohesion that will give our athletes an edge. This has often been referred to as creating the Olympic bubble which is supportive and psychologically safe space from which athletes emerge to perform to their best potential. A big part of this is about strengthening the relationships between our sailors, coaches and other staff, who may not know each other all that well as they attend events in different classes in different places around the world. The purchase of sails is focused on purchasing the spinnakers that some classes use because at the Olympics these sails must have the Canadian Flag incorporated into the design. I recall this being a problem for my own Olympic appearance in 2004. Because we ordered the sail so late we had to compromise on the choice of cloth weight in a white fabric rather than the more available blue cloth we had been using. This support from Wind Athletes Canada will ensure this does not happen to our 2020 team." John Curtis- President Wind Athletes.

This partnership with Wind Athletes only strengthens the long-standing relationship. Sail Canada High-Performance Director, Mike Milner comments "working together, we can accomplish so much more with not only our Olympians but also our future Olympians leading to 2024 and 2028. With our partners (Canadian Olympic Committee, Sport Canada, and Own the Podium) we are investing $200,000 into our team and to have Wind Athletes additional support means so much in terms of athlete preparation leading to the Games."

Upon agreement, the funds will go towards purchasing sails, allow Sail Canada to host a staging camp at the Olympic venue and have a team camp in Canada leading up to Tokyo.

Finally, while we continue to strive for the best for our teams more work is needed. To fully fund our athletes, Sail Canada, along with our partners are currently working on several "Meet the Olympic Team" functions this coming summer.

We are actively seeking individuals who want to see Canadian Sailing success at the 2020 Olympic Games and have the ability to donate two airfares per athlete, and team accommodations for the lead up to the Games. Donation receipts are available for all donations over $20.00. Finally, we will be selling Team Supporter Shirts (coming in May 2020). Join us in supporting the 2020 Canadian Olympic Sailing Team!

If you want to help our team achieve success, please contact Mike Milner or John Curtis