Local Olympic sailor gears up for Paris 2024 games

BY SEBASTIAN STUDIER PRESS INTERN

As Shoreview native Lara Dallman-Weiss prepares to participate in her second Olympic games in a year, she returns to where it all began, the White Bear Yacht Club.

Dallman-Weiss started sailing at the age of six and has early memories of spending time with her dad John out on the boat tagging along with him while he was racing. John taught himself how to sail and is now the race officer on White Bear Lake. John and his wife Sue currently live in Hugo.

Dallman-Weiss started out taking lessons at White Bear Lake Sailing School and was sailing on “Optis”, also known as optimist sailing boats, which are small starter boats intended for kids and teens learning how to sail. The Optis only hold one person, and this is something Dallman-Weiss did not particularly enjoy during her initial time learning how to sail.

“Part of what I love about the sport is you sail with other people, so it wasn’t until I was put in a boat with another person that I really loved it,” DallmanWeiss said.

Dallman-Weiss is set to do what she has grown to love at the 2024 Paris Olympics, sailing as a pair with Stu McNay, the decorated four-time Olympic sailor, and her new partner.

Sailing is a unique sport and Dallman-Weiss believes it takes a lot of time for people to develop at the highest level because there’s so much that goes into it.

Dallman-Weiss remembers dedicating herself to the sport when she attended Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla. After graduating, she worked in a sail loft, worked in sailing media, and sailed on every single boat she could all over the world. She thinks that these wide-ranging experiences helped her acquire the skill set she needed to become an Olympic sailor.

CONTRIBUTED

Dallman-Weiss speaks to an audience of WBYC members, sailing families, and supporters July 26. She discussed her experiences growing up in the White Bear sailing school, her 2020 Tokyo experience, and her 2024 Paris expectations.

“You learn all these different things that are applicable when you’re Olympic sailing,” DallmanWeiss said.

Reflecting on her experience in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Dallman-Weiss is eager to feel the Olympic spirit again in 2024.

“The Olympic spirit is a real thing,” DallmanWeiss said. “Being part of Team USA, meeting other athletes, having access to watch any sport at any time of the day, and competing against some of the best sailors in the world at the highest level, that is an experience I want again.”

Up until now, the 470 (the boats are 470 centimeters long) sailing event at the Olympics has been gender split, meaning women could only pair up with other women in the “women’s 470” and men could only pair up with other men in the “men’s 470”. In 2024, it will be a mixed event.

It’ll be an entirely different strategy for both Dallman-Weiss and McNay in 2024 because she has always been used to sailing with a smaller female and McNay was used to sailing with a much larger male counterpart. Although it has been an adjustment and learning process for DallmanWeiss, she is excited about the opportunity to sail with McNay.

“He is incredible,” Dallman-Weiss said. “We’re both just chasing the Olympic medal.”

U.S. Olympic teams do not receive government funding like many of their competitors from other countries do. Sailing does not have access to as much funds as more popular sports such as track and field or gymnastics.

“That leaves it all to us,” Dallman-Weiss said. “It’s basically a full-time business to manage funding.”

The pair will be looking to fund their Olympic campaign which involves funds for coaching, airfare, lodging, and boat maintenance/shipping via donations from people in the sailing community and businesses.

To aspiring young sailors, Dallman-Weiss encourages them to reach out and find a mentor to answer questions and guide them through their journey. As she did, Dallman-Weiss encourages young people in sailing to follow their passion.

“I always say follow your gut,” Dallman-Weiss said. “If sailing’s something you love doing, keep doing it.”

To donate via card or PayPal, visit ILYA.org/ olympic-campaigns and scroll to the McNay/ Dallman-Weiss Paris 2024 campaign.

To pay by check, checks can be made out to “Inland Lakes Yachting Association” with “McNay/ Dallman-Weiss Campaign” in the memo. Checks should be mailed to P.O. Box 662, East Troy, WI 53120.

Sebastian Studier is an intern at Press Publications. He can be reached by calling 651-242-2775 or emailing intern1@presspubs.com.