Sarah Newberry has 16 years experience as a sailing-athlete and coach. Recently she spent 4 years as a professional athlete in the Olympic sphere, and acted as full-time a training partner for the United States Olympic Team in the lead up to the 2016 Games. Established as one of the best female drivers in performance sailing in U.S. history, Sarah has won five National Championships, two North American Championships, and the ISAF World Cup Miami.
On today’s Episode Sarah and I discuss:
- Sarah’s background and what led her to the sport of sailing
- When Sarah began to see some success, and outperform peers
- What led Sarah to pursue sailing as a profession
- Finishing 5th in a national championship and why that was the turning point
- What motives Sarah to compete
- When Sarah first starting winning national and international races
- Why it was a big deal the first time Sarah said out loud she was going to fully commit to sailing
- All the different factors and variables involved in racing
- What sets Sarah apart from her competitors
- How the Olympic sailing circuit works
- How to build over the years on the circuit leading up to the Olympics
- The Olympic Trials
- Overcoming being a favorite to qualify and coming up short
- What drives Olympians to dedicate their life to a sport where they are not getting paid or much notoriety
- Advice for someone struggling to take their first action step
My 3 Big Takeaways
- When you fully believe in what your pursing the people around you will too
- Don’t be afraid of change. Don’t be scared of losing what you have right now for something different
- Be confident in yourself and your ability to pursue your passion