Twenty-year-old Andrew Lewis wants to take sailing in T&T to a new level. Some might argue that he already has. The second year student at the University of Southampton is poised to become T&T's first sailor to qualify for the Olympics and he is hoping it will encourage others to follow his lead. "I want to have a medal around my neck and go about to different schools and talk about how good the sport is and what the benefits are in one's life," he told the Guardian recently. "I think it's important for me to give back in the way that it gave to me. I want to help sailing in whatever way I can." He thinks that there is a lot of untapped potential in T&T and plans to create opportunities for those without the means to give the sport a try. "There are a lot of underprivileged kids who have got the chance to sail and love it but the funding and the support is not there. I think the sporting administrations just need to pay a little more attention to sailing because there's a lot of talent in the country. Once the right people are there to teach the locals, it can become a very successful programme."
Lewis got started at age seven when his parents entered him in a camp at the T&T Sailing Association in Chaguaramas. His father got him a small optimist boat for his ninth birthday and two years later, an international sailing coach spotted him during a visit to T&T. He was selected as part of a small group of local sailors with the opportunity to compete in events around the world. He went on to become the top junior sailor in T&T and upon turning 15, he set his sights on the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Along the way, he gained several honours locally, regionally and internationally. At home, he won the National Optimists Regatta in 2003 and 2004 and the Guardian Holdings International Regatta in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007. He is currently the 2009 Laser Standard National Champion, the category in which he plans to enter the Olympics. Regionally, he represented T&T successfully in Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Ecuador, Grenada, Martinique, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Uruguay and the British and US Virgin Islands.
His international profile also grew with appearances in New Zealand (30th out of 70 in the 2008 Laser Radial Men's Worlds), Holland (seventh in the Silver flee of the 2007 Laser Radial World Championship), Argentina (11th in the 2008 Laser Radial South American Championship), Australia (2008 Laser Full Worlds, 2009 Emerging Nations Training Camp Perth), Chile (31st in the 2004 South American Championship), Canada (ISAF Youth worlds), Singapore (seventh in the National Championship), Peru (seventh in the 2003 National Championship, fifth in the 2004 National Championship) and the USA (Miami 2001, 2002, 2003 Orange Bowl International Regatta, Boston 2001 Mid Winters, California 2006 Laser Radial Worlds, Texas 2002 Optimist World Championship/ 2004 Optimist World Championship). In China in 2007, he just missed out on qualifying for Beijing when he placed 25th overall in the Pre Olympic Event. He admits that the result was a blow to his confidence but he has since moved on to focus his attention on London, 2012. "My long term ambition has always been to go to the Olympics and because I did not make it to Beijing, I lost a lot of mental strength," he said. "I was so close and it was a big breakdown for me. 2009 was my year of starting over and building back strength and it's been successful. I've pushed for it and now I'm as close as I've ever been."
He will spend the first portion of 2010 training in Perth, Australia as part of the Emerging Nations Programme. The project is providing a select group of young sailors a sponsored training programme to prepare for the qualifying rounds of the 2012 Games. Lewis says he has been motivated by a passion which developed from early on and has stayed with him since. "There's something about the sea and the wind that's so relaxing and healthy. It just removes anything that's on my mind and calms me down," he said. "I'm a person that likes to do more hands on stuff and I'm a visual learner. Sailing is very hands on. You don't just read a book. You actually do the activity." He finished his first year at the University of T&T before moving on to a full scholarship at Southampton in England to finish his degree in Sports Studies with Business. He is grateful for the role that UTT played in giving him his "real breakthrough to take sailing to another level." His UK professors' good understanding with high level athletes allows him to catch up with school work online during training camps, competitions and plane flights which can sometimes last up to 12 hours. Lewis says he wants young people to get involved in sailing so that they can have the same positive experiences that he did while growing up. "My advice would be to give it a try. If you like it, keep at it. Don't give it up and good things will come your way."
