International Day of the Girl provided an opportunity for us to confirm that the strength, health and empowerment of girls is important in our future. If we empower girls ….everyone benefits!
Opti girls are strong, resilient, and talented. The results of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics illustrate that girls who participated in past IODA World and Continental Championships can become Olympic Champions. Tina Lutz was an Optimist Champion as well as a silver medalist in the 49erFX at the 2020 Olympics.
At the Tokyo Olympics all the helmswomen medalists had earlier participated in an Optimist World or Continental Championship. Six of ten of the winners of the Girls’ gold at Optimist Worlds 1995-2007 or later won Olympic medals.
Optimist Gold Medal Olympic Gold/Silver Medal
1995-6 Lisa Westerhof (NED) 470 2012
1997 Siren Sundby (NOR) Europe 2004
2001-2 Xu Lijia (CHN) Radial 2012
2003 Hannah Mills (GBR) 470 2016-20
2004-5 Tine Lutz (GER) 49erFX 2020
2007 Alex Maloney (NZL) 49erFX 2016
IODA and our Members need to commit to the next generation of girls to help them get the experience they need so that they too can go on to become Olympic Champions like the girls and women before them. The Optimist Class prides itself that our class is gender equal, however, getting girls started and keeping them sailing is a challenge for us all.
We challenge our Members to bring more girls to our IODA events so that they too can gain the Opti experience needed to inspire them to stay in the sport of sailing in the future.
Remember if we empower girls ….everyone benefits!