Press Release: After 20-Year Hiatus, Local Mom Sets Sights on 2028 Olympics

From the PTA to the Podium: Southern California Mom Rekindles Olympic Sailing Dream After 20-Year Hiatus

For Immediate Release – July 31, 2025

CORONADO, Calif. — Most elite athletes begin their Olympic journey in their teens. Lauren Wilson is starting hers at 41—while raising two kids and running her own business.

After two decades away from competitive sailing, Wilson, a former national sailing champion and U.S. Sailing Team member, is mounting an Olympic comeback in the ILCA 6 class (formerly Laser Radial). With the 2028 Games in Los Angeles on the horizon, she’s racing against time—and the world’s top athletes—to qualify.

“This isn’t a comeback story in the traditional sense,” said Wilson. “It’s about unfinished dreams, second chances, and showing my kids what it means to go all in—no matter your age or stage of life.”

Once considered one of the most promising young sailors in the country, Wilson stepped away from international competition in 2006 after college. She built a

successful creative career, started a family, and kept sailing recreationally—but never stopped thinking about the Games.

In August 2024, during a women’s regatta in San Diego, something clicked.

“I was back in 'race mode,' and a teammate—another mom—pulled me aside and said, ‘I wish my kids could see me like that,’” Wilson recalled. “That’s when I realized: mine just did.”

Now, she’s back in the boat—training between school drop-offs, fundraising to cover travel and coaching costs, and competing in international regattas to earn a spot at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Her campaign, Second Wind Racing, has already captured the attention of local sailing clubs and fellow USC and Coronado High School alumni. Wilson is hoping to raise $100,000 to support her path to the Trials and beyond.

It’s not just about winning. It’s about rewriting the story of who gets to dream big.

“People assume Olympic hopefuls are young, single, and sponsored,” Wilson said. “But I think it’s powerful for people to see someone like me chasing it anyway. Especially other women. Especially moms.”

Wilson’s next major event is the ILCA Masters World Championship in Formia, Italy this October, where she’ll compete against top sailors from around the world. She looks forward to a stacked calendar against the world’s best next year, where she will participate in World Sailing’s Sailing Grand Slam Series of 5 races, including races in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Kiel, Germany, and Long Beach, California.

To support or follow her journey, visit www.secondwindracing.com.