Sam Whaley, Olympic sailing hopeful from Swanage, joined Phil Whitehurst, CEO of Actisense, on a visit to St Edward’s School to inspire their Sixth Form students.
Sam Whaley from the British Sailing Team was invited to St Edward’s School to discuss his sailing story and inspire the Sixth Form students who will soon be starting their exams and moving on to further education or employment. The talk was organised by marine electronics specialist Actisense, who sponsor both St Edwards School and Sam Whaley in his bid for Olympic sailing gold in 2020.
Sam, 22, spoke to Sixth Formers at St Edwards about his inspiring story in sailing. Now a full-time professional sailor in the British Sailing Team Olympic Programme, Sam’s sailing adventure started when he moved to Swanage and his first national competition came in 2011. His training takes him all across Dorset, from Portland Bill to Poole Bay, and he now competes in events across the globe.
He has only recently returned home from Miami after the first Sailing World Cup of the year as part of his campaign to represent Great Britain at sailing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Sam’s talk at St Edwards is a continuation of Actisense’s sponsorship of the school, which has also seen them become members of the Dorset Young Chamber – providing the students with career advice and a range of activities with local businesses.
Phil Whitehurst, said:
“As a company, we are always looking for ways to give something back to the community. To bring Sam and St Edwards together was a fantastic opportunity for the Sixth Formers to get some inspiration from a very accomplished athlete and for Sam to share his story.”
Sam Whaley, said:
“The opportunity to inspire the students at St Edwards is something I couldn’t refuse. Sailing is my passion and I love sharing my story with everyone. I’m sure I’ll be back in the future to talk to the next cohort of students.”
As part of their sponsorship of Sam, Actisense contributed towards new sails, essential for a top performance; helped with Sam’s costs for training in Portugal in the winter months; and supported Sam when he recently took part in the Sailing World Cup Miami.
For more information on Actisense visit: www.actisense.com. To learn more about Sam Whaley and to follow him on his quest for Olympic gold, go to: www.samwhaley.com