WestLife Newspaper Coverage
I am honored to appear on the cover of the most recent Westlife Newspaper! It is not every day when I am covered by local newspapers and to my knowledge have never been front-page news, that is until this edition of the Westlife in Northeast, Ohio. Paper staff...
Focused on the ISAF World Sailing Championships in Spain
Following the ISAF World Sailing Cup regatta in Miami, where I finished the 4th American and missed my goal by 1 point, I had to look at my goals and schedule for the summer to determine the best course of action. Finishing 1 point behind where I needed to be was...
Meeting With Rocky River City Council
I am not known for my strength in public speaking but last week I was asked to address the Rocky River City Council at their public meeting in City Hall. When I started sailing at the Cleveland Yachting Club, I never imagined that one day I would be standing in front...
It All Started at CYC’s Sail Camp
My competitive sailing career is fast moving, exciting and takes me all around the world at 17 years old...but it all started when I was 8 and had my first introduction to dinghy sailing at the Cleveland Yachting Club's Sail Camp! Since my siblings are all 7...
Lessons From Sochi To Take To Rio 2016
I spent a considerable amount of time in front of my television over the past couple weeks watching the Olympic Athletes competing, winning and losing in Sochi and am taking several important lessons with me as I train for Rio 2016! Each of the athletes that...
Sailing Friends Are Friends For Life
This weekend I arrived at the US Sailing Center in Martin County for the 2014 C420 Midwinter Championships and as I began to get my 420 ready for the weekend I was barraged by friends from all over the country coming up to me to say hi and see how things are going....
It Takes A Village to Build A Champion
Sailing an Olympic campaign at any age is a huge struggle, as a teenage athlete competing at an elite level it takes a village to make it work and I am extremely grateful to my friends and family for all their continued support over the years. When I began...
Jaguar Therapeutics Signs as New Sponsor
Top sports medicine, training and physical therapy center Jaguar Therapeutics becomes the latest sponsor of our efforts to win Gold in Rio! As athletes engaged in a full-time active campaign to literally become the best in the world, it is vital that we have a clear...
2014 Sailing World Cup Miami Results
This past week I sailed in the Sailing World Cup Miami regatta. The 2014 Sailing World Cup in Miami was a huge event which occupied much of my mindset and my time over the past several months. The regatta serves as the qualifier for the 2014 US Sailing Team Sperry...
Harken Makes Sailing Fast and Fun
Harken is in the business of making sailors great! I have been sailing competitively since I was 8 years old. When I finally reached the National circuit, one of the most visible companies on the scene was Harken Inc and their amazing staff. They always provided...
Fresh Power for the Sailing World Cup Series
Fresh power is critical when shooting for the top of the Sailing World Cup Series! On a sailboat, our power comes directly from the wind. Well actually it is indirectly from the wind, it is how you create high and low-pressure systems around your sails and then...
Critical lessons leading up to Sailing WC Miami
Leading up to the Sailing WC Miami regatta next weekend, Athletes Stephanie Hudson and David Hein are adding critical data to their toolchest of racing against the world's top athletes. Making the decision to change partners during a campaign is difficult to say the...
Cleveland Yachting Club Newsletter Jan-Feb 2014
My family has been members of the Cleveland Yachting Club since before I was born and I have spent my entire life sailing under the CYC Burgey. From my early days of competitive sailing at the I-LYA Travelers Series regattas around Lake Erie and nearby lakes to my...
Constant Learning Cycle in the NACRA 17
Sailing an Olympic Campaign provides many challenges and I have found that there is a constant learning cycle in the NACRA 17! When I first climbed onto a multihull over Thanksgiving weekend when I was 14 years old, I was amazed at the sheer power these boats...
On The Sea With Peace And Tranquility
In a confusing and challenging world, being on the sea brings me peace and tranquility no matter what i'm doing. Growing up on the shore of Lake Erie, I have spent a great deal of time on the beach and in the coastal waters. I have found that being on the sea, no...
Life Inside My Head – Journey Towards Rio 2016
An introspective look inside the head of a 16 year old athlete working towards Rio 2016. If you read much of my blog, you know that I continually strive to be positive and clear in my posts and in all honesty I try and do that in my life as well. I know that a...
Flying Into 2014 With Strong Expectations
2014 is no longer a number or the future, 2014 is only one day away and there is so much opportunity and so much to accomplish. 2014 is going to be the year of proof! Looking into my campaign and what I expect to achieve in 2014 I am filled with excitement as I look...
New Year With A Renewed Focus and Motivation to Win
As we look towards the new year, I am heading into 2014 with a renewed focus and a stronger motivation to win! 2013 has proven to be a huge year of learning for me. Lessons about knowing your sailing partner, about focus and dedication and about sticking to a plan for...
A Different Kind of Childhood For This Elite Athlete
As the end of another year approaches, I have come to the realization that I have experienced a different kind of childhood than most 16 year old's today. Don't get me wrong, I am proud of the life I live and definitely appreciate the opportunities that I have had in...
Lessons Learned from the Cleveland Browns
Sailing is a lot like football and I have learned lessons from the Cleveland Browns! In sailing, we don't throw balls across the field. We don't have time-outs. We don't have special teams to come in and give us and extra boost. Heck, we don't even have our own...
Hard Work, Focus and Determination Make an Elite Athlete
Becoming an elite athlete in any sport is not as simple as making a decision to do so, it requires intense effort, clarity in focus and determination beyond the average athlete in your sport! When I first decided that I wanted to become an elite athlete in the sport...
Rio Olympic Hopefuls Rock Miami in Style at Art Basel
Art Basel changes focus for young athletes. When teen athletes Katie Flood and David Hein get on the water to train for the 2016 Olympics, they are focused, determined and highly driven to succeed in the aggressive and cut-throat sport of sailing. Occasionally, these...
Difficult Conditions for the NACRA 17 in Miami
This past weekend Katie and I sailed at the MYC Fall Harvest Regatta against some top multihull sailors in the region and we were faced with tough conditions for the NACRA 17 in Miami! Going into the weekend, I told Katie that I was not too excited about sailing in...
From the Mouth of the Rocky River to Copacabana
I have spent my entire life at yacht clubs and and sailing on boats so it's only natural that I am taking my experience from the Cleveland Yachting Club in Rocky River, Ohio all the way to the beaches of Copacabana, Brazil! My dad often tells a story of how the staff...
Fitness, Training and Focus on Smooth Transitions
Many of my friends from Ohio and other Northern locals are envious of my Winter life in the Tropics of Miami, but my daily life is far from relaxation on the beach! Fitness, Training and Focus on Smooth Transitions are keys to making the demands of my teenage life...
All the Right Things At the Right Time
Katie and David are doing all the right things to make a big splash on their way to Rio2016! As teenage athletes there are a lot of distractions in our lives. School, grades, thinking about college, relationships, parents, parties, having "fun", hanging out and...
Raising the Bar at ISAF World Cup
The Youngest NACRA17 Team in North America promises to raise the bar at the ISAF World Cup Series over the next year! On the heels of Oracle, Team USA's dramatic 9-8 victory over Emirates Team New Zealand at the Americas Cup Finals in San Francisco last month,...
Taking Steps Towards the GOLD in Olympic Sailing!
I have been taking many steps towards a GOLD Medal in Olympic Sailing lately. Since making the decision to pursue an Olympic Sailing Campaign for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil I have had to jump through many hurdles, make life altering decisions and deal...
We Need Your Support
Katie Flood and David Hein are the youngest team training and competing for the single spot on the US Olympic Sailing Team for the 2016 Games in Rio. Together they are using their youth as an advantage in the rigorous competition to the top. Sailing against a fleet...
My Week at Oakcliff Sailing Center
My week at Oakcliff Sailing Center Last week I travelled from Corpus Christi, Texas to Oyster Bay, New York as I continued my summer training in pursuit of the 2016 Rio Games. Departing Corpus, I was glad that I had some alone time to think about the events leading...