More Than a Hat—The Community Behind an Olympic Dream
One of the most unexpected gifts of chasing this Olympic dream hasn't been the sailing. It's been the people.
Over the past two years, I've been overwhelmed by the kindness, encouragement, and creativity of friends who have found their own unique ways to become part of this journey. Every campaign needs financial support, but what has surprised me most is how people have chosen to help. Some have donated. Some have shared my story. Some have connected me with sponsors and partners.
And now, two incredibly talented friends have turned yarn and knitting needles into a way to help get me one step closer to the starting line.
Introducing the 15 Knots Hat
My friend Lauren, the designer behind A Bee in the Bonnet, recently released the 15 Knots Hat, a knitting pattern inspired by my favorite sailing conditions.
If you've followed my campaign for any length of time, you've probably heard me say that 15 knots is magic.It's enough wind to hike hard, power up the boat, and really race—but not so much that you're simply hanging on in survival mode. When Lauren told me she wanted to design a pattern inspired by my campaign, I couldn't imagine a more perfect name.
Even more incredible, she decided to donate $2 from every pattern sold during its first month to the nonprofit supporting my Olympic campaign. She's also donating 100% of the advertising revenue from the pattern's blog post during that same period.
I'm still blown away by that generosity.
It may be 80º in SoCal today, but I just had to document this amazing colorway and design.
A Colorway Called "Second Wind"
As if that weren't enough, our mutual friend Megan of Megs & Co. joined the project by creating a custom yarn colorway called Second Wind, named after my ILCA 6.
The rich, vibrant magenta was inspired by my team branding, and Megan is donating 10% of every skein sold to support my campaign as well.
It still amazes me that something as personal as my little sailboat now has a yarn color named after it.
I never saw that coming.
This Is What Community Looks Like
People often ask what it takes to pursue an Olympic campaign. The obvious answers are coaching, training, travel, equipment, and thousands of hours on the water. But there's another answer that's harder to quantify.
Community.
Dreams like this aren't built alone. They're built by people who believe in you enough to lend their own talents. Lauren tells stories through knitting. Megan creates beauty through color.
Together they've transformed those gifts into a way to help fuel my journey toward the 2028 Olympic Games. That is something I'll never take for granted.
Thank You
To Lauren, Megan, and every single person who has become part of this campaign in ways both big and small...
Thank you.
Your encouragement reminds me that this journey has become something much bigger than one sailor chasing one goal.
It's become a community cheering each other toward impossible dreams.
If you're a knitter—or have one in your life—I hope you'll take a look at the 15 Knots Hat and the beautiful Second Wind yarn.
Every purchase helps move this campaign forward, one stitch at a time.
