Sailing Academy Brings New Opportunities To T&T Youth
Trinidad and Tobago’s first Olympic sailor is on a mission to bring young people off the land and onto the water.
Andrew Lewis says sailing can change lives, and he’s building the programme to prove it.
The Andrew Lewis Sailing Academy and Foundation is targeting young children, particularly those from communities in Trinidad where the sport is virtually unknown.
Lewis says sailing isn’t just about racing; it demands weather-reading, boat maintenance, logistics, and strategy, skills he believes build stronger young minds.
« Every single day the playing field is different, which requires someone to have that diverse thinking. »
For sceptical parents, Lewis starts small, introducing children close to shore before gradually moving into open water.
The sailing academy and foundation recently received fourteen boats for free from Culver Academy in Indiana, helping to address what has long been a barrier cost.
Lewis says Trinidad’s warm climate and open coastline make it ideal for a world-class programme, if the right support follows, and he will give the academy’s full support behind any future T&T sailing Olympian.
« I’m going to try to provide as many pathways and knowledge as possible, because I have almost everything to guide a young boy or girl. You just have to have the team around you with everyone pushing that movement, because there’s no way that can just be done with one coach and one parent. It requires a whole community almost to push that to actually get to the Olympic Games. And that’s what I hope we can do with those who have these big dreams. »
