This Isn’t a Comeback. It’s the Second Wind.

From U.S. Sailing Team member to full-time mom and now Olympic hopeful, Lauren’s story is about resilience, second chances, and racing for something bigger.

Lauren Wilson with her husband, Ken, and two children.

I’m Lauren Wilson—
sailor, strategist, mom of two,
and Olympic hopeful.

I fell in love with sailing growing up in Coronado. By the time I was 17, I was a nationally ranked Laser sailor and a member of the U.S. Sailing Team. I spent years racing in the ILCA class, testing my grit and skill on the international stage. But when it came time to choose between a shot at Olympic gold or finishing college, I chose to build a different kind of future — one rooted in stability, creativity, and family.

Still, the pull of the water never really let go.

For two decades, I stayed close to the sport — racing keelboats, leading women’s teams, mentoring newer sailors. But in 2024, I got back in an ILCA 6 dinghy, and something shifted. The fire was still there — and now, I had more perspective, resilience, and clarity than ever.

That’s when Second Wind was born.

Now, I’m training for the 2025 ILCA Masters World Championship in Italy and working toward the U.S. Olympic Trials — with my eyes on the LA 2028 Games.

This campaign is about finishing what I started. It’s about showing my kids what commitment looks like. And it’s about proving that it’s never too late to chase a dream — especially when you’re finally strong enough to catch it.

In 2024, something shifted.

I stepped back into a Laser (now the ILCA 6), and instantly felt the old fire — only this time, with more perspective, discipline, and joy. At a women’s regatta in San Diego, a teammate told me seeing me “in race mode” was inspiring — especially for her kids. That was the spark.

This journey is about showing what’s possible — for myself, for my children, and for every woman who's ever wondered if her moment had passed.

Spoiler alert: it hasn’t.

Olympic hopeful Lauren Wilson trimming the mainsheet in a breezy upwind leg at the Florida Masters Week, 2025.
A beach filled with numerous small sailboats with white sails, lined up on the sandy shore, with houses and hills in the background under a partly cloudy sky.

What’s Ahead

2026 is a make-or-break year for my campaign — a year packed with training, racing, and proving myself against the best sailors in the world. My calendar takes me from Florida to California, across Europe, and into Canada.

I’ll be competing in major domestic regattas like Midwinters East in Key Biscayne, Nationals on the West Coast, and North Americans on the East Coast, while also representing the U.S. in global Olympic-pathway events:

  • Trofeo Princesa Sofía – Palma de Mallorca, Spain

  • Dutch Water Week – Almere, Netherlands

  • Kieler Woche – Kiel, Germany

  • Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta – Long Beach, CA

  • CORK Olympic Classes Regatta – Kingston, Ontario, Canada

This calendar is more than a list of races. It’s the pathway that keeps me sharp, puts me up against the world’s top competitors, and earns the ranking points I need to reach the U.S. Olympic Trials.

But chasing this dream at the highest level comes with real costs: chartering boats overseas, flights for international regattas, coaching support, and entry fees. Every contribution makes it possible for me to get to the start line prepared, competitive, and ready to represent.

2026 is about building momentum toward LA 2028—and I can’t get there alone.