With not long left till the Paris Olympics, we caught up with Emma Wilson, the iQFOiL athlete representing Great Britain in July, to talk about all things foiling, working with kids, and environmental action.
British summer time was making its first appearance, as Emma rolled up on her bicycle to the Official Test Centre in Portland Harbour, closely followed behind by her mum, Penny Wilson, former Olympic Windsurfer and now Emma’s number 1 supporter. You wouldn’t know from her calm and relaxed state that she is preparing for one of the brand new events taking place in Marseille, come July.
First on the agenda was a quick check-in with her coach, Sam Ross, to discuss the plan for the day. The pair decided that an energy-conserving session would be best for that afternoon, following an intense few days of training and that morning’s activities with the local school children.
Not long after, Emma greeted the kids as they arrived, with their wetsuits at the ready, eager to get on the water. The fun began with a warm up game to prepare the kids for the chilly water, until finally, she gave in to their frequent, but polite pleads of “Miss, please can I go in the water now?”
Emma worked with them individually, taking each of the children out on a sail well-suited to their size, but considerably smaller than her usual 8m Hyperglide. Perhaps a welcome rest after a period of intense training the previous week? Between the jumping and diving, she taught a lesson on the basics and gave a taste of their first down-winder. Once wasn’t enough for most of the kids, as they often asked for an extra turn. Meanwhile, the school teachers spectated from the waters edge, in awe of the kids’ seemingly endless energy.
To finish up the morning, upon the request of the children, Emma brought out her Olympic Bronze Medal from Tokyo, letting each of them hang it around their necks and pose for their own mini ceremony. It was an exciting thought that one of them may be winning a medal themselves in years to come…
After a quick training session on the water with her iQFOiL board named ‘Pickle’, Emma found time to sit down with us to share her thoughts. A kind gesture considering it is now only two months to go till the Games kick-off in Paris and the training schedule is pretty packed.
Tell us about your windsurfing story…
I actually grew up doing loads of different sports, but began windsurfing everyday after school with my older brother… maybe it was a lot of training for my age, but it was just so fun! I definitely liked it more than school.
Then one summer holiday, my brother was going to the Junior Techno World Championships, so I went too. I hated all the conflict and protests, so I just sailed my own way and had no idea that I would end up winning!
From there, I progressed early to the RS:X, because I was quite big for my age, but the level was so high in the UK. Bryony Shaw (bronze medal winning GB windsurfer at Beijing 2008) was a big inspiration for me and I would train with her in Weymouth.
How was the transition to iQFOiL?
Well, I took a month off after Tokyo and went winging and thought ‘I’ll give iQ a try’, but at the time I was only about 55kg, which was way too light and I hadn’t done much foiling before, only wing foiling – which I actually think really helped. It was a big learning curve, I definitely crashed a lot. But I knew I could race, so the first step was just to get comfy on the iQFOiL, because I was just crashing all the time. It was either full send or nothing!
What are you looking forward to most at Marseille?
There’s going to be a crowd! I’m used to training around Weymouth everyday, without anyone around, rigging up in the rain… So I’m excited to show everyone what I’ve been working on for the last 3 years.
What are you nervous about?
The lead up to the game might be stressful, with lots of people, but once I’m on the water I’ll be okay. I just love being on the water… It’s where I feel most at home. Working with the kids and seeing how happy the water makes them reminds me of how I feel out there.
When did you start supporting the programme for children from local schools in Weymouth?
I’ve been working with them since Tokyo, the kids just came and chatted to me and asked me questions. It just went from there really.
Emma recalled a memory from her time at school, when Alex Danson (GB Olympic hockey player) came to visit and how she found it a source of inspiration. She candidly admits that though Danson probably won’t remember it herself, the memory remains firmly in Emma’s mind.
Today, Emma takes time out of her busy training schedule to work with children from the local schools, who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to try windsurfing. She supports them on their 6 week mental health and wellbeing program, which aims to teach the students not only how to become windsurfers, but to help them improve their confidence, resilience, determination and teamwork. The program receives funding from The Chesil Sailing Trust, The Will Mackaness Trust and The Will Houghton Foundation.
While you’re teaching the kids to windsurf, do you talk to them about the environment?
The kids are already so inspired and interested in the sea. One of them wanted to be a marine biologist! It’s cool to see them so interested in the environment. For them, it’s just about the opportunity to get out on the water. 6 weeks ago, some of them couldn’t even swim and now you can get them out of the water!
What’s your biggest concern about the environment? Does that issue affect your training?
The biggest thing for us on iQFOiL is when we’re on the foil and hit something [marine litter] – we catapult straight away. It’s quite a big problem in Marseille and they have boats which try and collect it, but it’s so busy there and they can’t get it all…I’m interested to see what they’re going to do about it for the Olympics.
What do you see as the solution?
I think the solution is awareness. A lot of people just don’t really know their impact. For example, I see people walking around the supermarket and they don’t know the effect that plastic is having on their environment. It’s only when they actually see it having an impact on the local biology, that it hits home.
What is something we should all do to protect the environment?
I am always trying to pick up things out of the water. I think these little things can go a big way. Beach cleans and litter picks are something we can all do to make a difference.
It’s always great to be reminded of the incredible impact that watersports can have. Windsurfing has unlocked new opportunities for these children and allowed them to engage with the environment in a way they couldn’t before. With role-models such as Emma, they will hopefully be inspired to continue elevating their skills and one day become future champions!
For exactly this reason, it’s essential that we do everything we can to preserve the environment so future generations can relish in the sport, in the same way we have since we were young. Today, it’s a sad reality that throw-away attitudes and irresponsible waste disposal has not only begun affecting our enjoyment and safety out on the water, but is also affecting the entire ecosystem, as micro-plastics have entered the food chain.
Right now, the truth remains that unless someone removes the plastic from the environment, it will simply persist there. Emma’s words shine a light on the importance of the Starboard and iQFOiL environmental action. Through picking up 11.4kg of shoreline plastic for every Starboard iQFOiL (to match the weight of a full senior setup), the class is preventing the waste from entering the ocean in the first place. Working in Thailand and Myanmar, where waste management is a serious issue, the Plastic Offset Program is acting directly at the source of the problem. Find out more here.
‘I think the solution is awareness. A lot of people just don’t really know their impact.’
As Emma rightly suggested, awareness is the first step before action. So the Plastic Offset Program is also educating local communities on how to dispose of waste responsibly. Like Emma, we believe that working with kids is the key to changing behaviour. To date, we have supported the education of over 1500 children in Myanmar. This has equipped them with crucial knowledge to make better decisions and help preserve the beauty of their environment.
We want to wish Emma the best of luck at the Olympics later this year and thank Penny and her coach Sam for sharing their time and thoughts with us in Weymouth. Also a massive thank you to the teachers and children of Conifers Primary School Weymouth for their endless enthusiasm!
Follow iQFOiL and Emma Wilson on instagram to keep up with her journey.
Check out how you can inspire kids too with our WindsurfKids book. It’s a free digital workbook that teaches kids about windsurfing, water safety, healthy lifestyles, and the environment.
