Slicing through the murky black brackish neuse water, the bow of a 14-foot-long white polished Sailboat captained by a young kid with salty blonde hair. The wind battered against the sail, causing the halyard to beat roughly against the mast. The waves crash over the side of the boat as the young kid smiles at this slight feeling of freedom. This one small sailboat is one of many, slicing, jibing, cutting, and gliding on the top of this glazed sea, all racing towards the harbor.

I am lucky enough to be one of the few people who can comprehend this feeling of freedom, competition, and achievement that sailing gives you. I started sailing at a young age at my childhood summer camp, Camp Sea Gull. I have always been very competitive. I love learning things that give me the freedom to make my own decisions, and I love doing activities that involve being with the environment. As a camper at Camp Sea Gull, I discovered that sailing offered all this and more. As I grew older, I began getting into regattas, large-scale sailboat races. I continued to return to Camp Sea Gull every year to work on my sailing skills and compete against some of the best kids my age. When I turned 16, I continued to Sail and taught others how to Sail and race. Teaching others the minute details of sailing helped to improve my skills drastically.

Sailing is still an essential part of my life, and I plan to learn how to incorporate it into my everyday life here at UGA.