THUNDER BAY - It’s been 12 years since Richard Walsh represented Canada as a sailor in the 2007 Pan-American Games in Brazil.
After clinching a spot to represent Canada in a qualifier competition in San Diego, Calif., Walsh and his three-person team outright won a competition in Montreal Q.C. earlier this year against fellow Canadian opponents. Now they will head to Lima, Peru on Sunday to compete against North and South America’s top sailors.
Walsh, a lifelong sailor, has remained busy on the water in between those 12 years and he’s ready to return to the big stage.
“It’s a lot of practice, going through the routine so everything works ahead of time, and a lot of boat speed so we’re ready when we get there.”
Walsh is the captain of a crew that includes Thunder Bay natives Alex Cox and Nikka Stoger. They will qualify in the lightning class.
“I’m very confident in our team. I trust this crew 100 per cent. We’re going to get about five days on the water at the venue, and I think that’s going to help,” Walsh said in an interview at Pier 1 at Marina Park.
Walsh finished fifth in 2007 in Brazil. Since then he’s been sailing on and off with another lifelong sailor Alex Cox.
“I’ve been sailing with him since I was eleven-years-old,” Cox said.
“This plan started about a year ago for us and it’s a lot of fun. Anytime you sail with someone new, you’re always learning and getting better. That’s the biggest thing for me.”
Nikka Stoger, who positions at the front of the boat, controls the head sail.
“It’s still a little surreal right now. I don’t think it will sink in until we’re on the plane headed to Peru,” she said.
The furthest south Stoger has been is Mexico.
“They recruited me one day and we’ve been sailing ever since,” she said. “(Sailing) is not just a sport, it’s really a family down here.”
