00:01So we were both sailing the 49er FX
00:03with different people and then Covid hit
00:05and we both split up with our sailing partners at the time
00:09and we both wanted to just keep sailing
00:11so we kind of found each other through our coach.
00:16I think what makes our partnership a little bit different
00:18from our previous ones is
00:20we have a pretty similar drive
00:22and yeah we have the same goal in mind
00:24and our personalities are different enough
00:26but similar enough that it works so it's good.
00:34When I first jumped into the FX
00:36I think there was no huge expectations
00:38but the Olympics was always the main goal
00:41and not just getting to the Olympics but winning a gold medal
00:44so there was always that drive to be the best.
00:51Getting over missing the qualification for Paris was pretty big.
00:56We always had our sights set past Paris.
00:59We had committed to LA before the qualifications
01:02but it doesn't make it any easier
01:05and to turn around and come back doesn't
01:07yeah it doesn't get any less challenging to come back from a blow like that.
01:14I think for us a big moment was when we came fifth at the Lanzarote Worlds in 2024.
01:20It was kind of just a long time coming if we knew there was potential in us
01:24and we knew we had everything inside us and as a team to put a good result down
01:31but we were just waiting for the right moment in a way.
01:34You know confidence is a big thing in this class and I think for us once we get things moving
01:39then the confidence builds and you kind of just run with that as much as you can.
01:43I think it's hard not to like sailing.
01:45You know you go through hard moments and you kind of have to find your love for the sport again
01:50but at the end of the day if you're not having fun then there's probably no point doing it
01:55and I think whenever we're having tough times we probably ask ourselves that question
01:59like do we need to find the joy again and if the answer is yes then that's priority number one.
02:06I think yeah we always try and try and keep things fun that's that's our main goal and everything kind
02:11of flows from there.
02:17Well we were competitors against each other for many years much longer than we've been teammates.
02:22We formed our team at the beginning of last year really well in the just before Christmas of 2024.
02:32We messaged each other a little bit that summer and yeah it was it was like going on a first
02:38date just like seeing
02:39hey are you interested and real buttoned up.
02:43It's as simple as that we saw we're still pretty new you know just feeling it out and forming our
02:49big projects.
02:50Yeah very new I would say that I was surprised how motivating it was to see another team win a
02:57medal
02:57and not a not like an angry motivation like ah you know I gotta go get one.
03:02But it was really cool to sort of help bring it back into perspective.
03:09I think probably just getting to know each other more as people when we were our competitors against each other.
03:17We had a lot of respect for each other but we didn't know much about each other either.
03:21we ran kind of separate programs basically.
03:26I think the trickiest thing is that it's one thing to say you've got your teammates back.
03:30It's one thing to you know smile do all the things that are important.
03:33But to really deep down know that you've got each other you know for a four year block and a
03:38four year campaign
03:39through stuff that really hurts and really sucks is tricky and really harsh and requires a lot of attention and
03:45a lot of energy.
03:51And we both like sort of quiet isolated mornings which has been a fun one.
03:56You know it's kind of hard to figure out if the guy didn't sleep that well or if they just
04:00need their coffee and you know get down to the boat park and the day really starts.
04:03Yeah we're both kind of introverted like for the first half of the day.
04:07Then maybe dinner we can do something.
04:08Yeah.
04:09Then we're good.
04:09Something fun.
04:10But yeah no we're definitely more similar than either of us realize which is awesome.
04:13It's nice.
04:14Yeah.
04:15Yeah.
