UKLA Chair blog #4
I watched in awe Adam Peaty competing in the Commonwealth Games as he is such an athlete and competitor. I believe he was unbeaten in the 100m breaststroke since 2014 having broken the world record around 8 times. But here he was fading down the last 50m eventually finishing fourth. Maybe it was a bit unsurprising as his training was interrupted by a foot injury but he was disappointed to say the least. Then a day or two later he showed the resilience of a true champion and rebounded by winning the 50m race.
This all made me think of ILCA racing. Firstly, sailing an ILCA in over 12 knots is a big physical test and you may have heard Daisy and Mathilda at the Nationals talk about how intense the physical training is for elite ILCA sailors. Master sailors among you know that you will get a good workout over a windy weekend. In fact, both Guy Noble and Stick Daring (Neil Peters) both said their "bio watches" were showing 10 days to full recovery after the Masters Nationals!
Of course, for elite sailors mental preparation and training is at least as important, but many of us will understand, especially post Covid, how important sailing and racing is our mental well-being. Beyond that, ILCA racing is a great sport for building both independence and resilience in younger sailors. We know the RYA put great emphasis on the former, not just around coaches facilitating learning on the water (rather than telling sailors what to do) but off water activities. Anything from dealing with protests and to making sure your water bottles are filled.
Perhaps the biggest benefit is building resilience through the ups and downs of sporting competition. After all, the essence of sport is winning some and losing some or not knowing the outcome in advance. Our racing has so many factors outside our control like wind, current and other boats and helping and supporting younger sailors build that resilience when results don't match their expectations is key. In my view, building that resilience is a great skill in life. One skill Adam Peaty exudes.
Just a final note to say to that the UKLA committee has collected lots of feedback on the Nationals through the survey and directly. Overall the event was very well received and we will assess suggestions over the next month or so.
All the best
Mark
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