ABOUT THE U.S. SAILING TEAM SPERRY ATHLETES

The Olympic and Paralympic athletes that make up the U.S. Sailing Team Sperry span a range of ages and backgrounds. Some athletes are still in school, working to balance a college education with training for Rio. Others are training for their third Olympic Games while balancing family life.

“It’s a dynamic situation for the athletes, because they are taking on this massive challenge while trying to balance it with their everyday commitments,” Adams said. “Many of our Paralympic athletes also have established careers outside of sailing that they have to balance with training.”

Ultimately, success at the Olympic and Paralympic Games favors the athletes who put in the time on the water, so training and competing regularly is vital. Team members will participate in many months of training and several competitive racing events leading up to the Olympic events in Rio. One of these events was the ISAF World Cup in Miami, North America’s premier Olympic and Paralympic classes regatta, of which Sunbrella served as the presenting sponsor.

“I was blown away by the things I saw at the ISAF World Cup,” Wicker said. “The athletes are approachable, genuine and extremely hardworking through brutal conditions. Day after day they show up and they’re on their game.”

As the Olympic and Paralympic sailors embark on a busy schedule of training and racing at events around the world, it will ultimately come down to the most vital trait that will lead the team to gold. Speed.