Norman moves for freedom
“To be a fast sailor, you must be very connected with the feelings the boat gives you.”
Norman Struthers grew up around water and began sailing on his own at eight. With a family legacy in the sport, he finds freedom in the connection between body, boat, wind, and water.
Norman Struthers has been around water and sailing for as long as he can remember.
Sailing runs through his family. He started because of his dad, who started because of his own father. Norman began sailing on his own when he was eight years old, following a path shaped by generations before him.
His father sailed for the Canadian National Team and competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Norman hopes to follow in his footsteps as a member of the Canadian Team, and hopefully the Canadian Olympic Team.
A typical training session on the water lasts about three hours. Each session has a goal: speed, starting, decision-making, or another skill needed on a race course. Training starts with high-intensity drills on a small course, then moves into specific race situations, and usually ends with practice racing.
Sailing also has a complicated team dynamic. Teammates train together, but they are also competing for the same opportunities. In Olympic-class sailing, everyone may share the dream of representing their country, but only one boat can go.
Norman believes the key is to look past that tension. “You will all benefit more from helping each other get better rather than trying to bring the others around you down,” he says.
His favourite part of sailing is the freedom that comes from being on the water and in control. But control in sailing does not mean forcing the boat. It means listening.
“To be a fast sailor, you must be very connected with the feelings the boat gives you,” Norman says. “The boat almost seems to release and everything becomes easy.”
That feeling keeps him coming back, even when the sport is cold, wet, and weather-dependent. Before sailing took over, Norman competed in alpine skiing. At university, he took up lacrosse to stay active when colder weather made training on the water harder.
Norman moves for freedom.