Jo Sterling (AUS-254) is one of Australia's leading female windsurfers. WQ recently caught up with Jo to learn more about life after Rio, and to glean some tips for young windsurfers seeking to follow in her footsteps.
WQ: What age did you start to sail Jo, and what disciplines characterised your early years in windsurfing?
Jo: My parents are both keen windsurfers and got me into the sport when I was about 6 years of age. I didn't start windsurfing regularly until I was 12, but by that stage, I had most of the basics covered so I was able to progress quickly. In 2008, I started learning to race on a Techno 293 and competed in my first Australian Youth Nationals where, thanks to the windy conditions in WA, I qualified for the 2009 Australian Youth Team. Competing at the Youth Worlds meant stepping up to an RS:X with an 8.5m rig which was a big challenge. I also competed at the 2010 Youth Worlds and then progressed into the open fleet. So far, I've raced at 5 RS:X World Championships, 2 Raceboard World Championships and a number of World Cup, European and National events.
WQ: What do you think encourages females to sail ... or what do you think discourages participation by females?
Jo: I think there are two factors which promote the participation of females in sailing .... environment and equipment. When I started windsurfing there were very few women involved in the sport. Over the last few years there has been a massive change in participation rates, which I believe is thanks to the positive environment and access to learner-friendly equipment at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron. I remember being told numerous times when I started windsurfing that the conditions were too difficult, the sail was too big or the skill was too hard to learn. With the right approach and with suitable equipment available, suddenly the barriers start to fall away. Now, it's not uncommon to have more women than men out racing on the weekend .... and a lot of them are capable of getting around a course with a 8.5m sail in really strong winds.
WQ: You've spent a lot of time overseas doing regattas ... what is your favourite overseas sailing city ... and why?
Jo: In terms of conditions, Turkey and Italy are beautiful for windsurfing. Surprisingly I never did very well in these competitions and most of my favourite racing memories are from when it was raining and I was wearing three wetsuits at once .... such as Palma (Majorca) or Medemblik (The Netherlands).
WQ: What attributes does a windsurfer require to reach the top level in the sport?
Jo: I think it depends a lot on what class you're sailing and also your level of experience and skill. In the RS:X class, most of the sailors are at a really high level in terms of technique, fitness and equipment so I would say that the most important attributes in this situation are psychology and racing skills. I would split these two factors 70% (psych) and 30% (racing skills) in terms of importance as a lot of the time racing skills are dependent on psychology. An athlete needs to be in the zone and also have their concentration and decision making sorted out in order to pull off what is needed to consistently perform well.
WQ: Qualifying as the best Australian for Rio only to be advised by Australian Sailing that you were not ranked in top 10, or whatever their crappy reason was, must have been heartbreaking. What was your mindset after learning the news, and how did you "process" the news?
Jo: It was definitely a tough moment when I found out I wouldn't be racing in Rio. I was on my way home from a regatta in France, so I had an 8 hour flight to feel sorry for myself. Once I got to Dubai airport, I started thinking about what I needed to do moving forward and opened my laptop to look for a job. I knew that it would take me a while to process such a disappointing outcome after a lot of hard work and that I would have to give myself some time away from the RS:X class. On the other hand, I also needed to keep busy and find some new goals. I was very fortunate to find work in academic research and put my mind to publishing a couple of papers. I also set some physical goals including running a half marathon and competing in a triathlon. A long-term goal of mine has always been to do a Masters degree in psychology, having completed a Bachelor of Psychological Science with Honours in 2014. I was offered a place in the Master of Sport and Exercise Psychology program at UQ and that's what I've been working on since the beginning of this year.
WQ: What were your key learnings about how you ran your campaign for Rio?
Jo: I don't have any regrets in terms of the amount of work I put in during my Rio campaign. We pushed it to the limit and achieved an amazing amount of improvement in a relatively short period of time. My biggest learning point would be to take more ownership over my campaign and to speak up when I felt like the type of training we were doing or plans we were making didn't suit me. But hindsight is a wonderful thing ... I would have made it a higher priority to establish a training group focused on some common goals rather than going out on my own so much. This was always a difficult task given that for the majority of the last four years I was the only Australian racing international on RS:X, and being a part of a team is really crucial, particularly when Australia is so remote from Europe where most of the big events are.
WQ: Your Mum and Dad have clearly been two of the big reasons you got into sailing, given they are/were both top sailors - how important have they been to your sailing success?
Jo: My parents have been a key part of my progress and success in sailing for a whole range of reasons and I'm beyond grateful to have had them support me throughout my career. As well has providing support behind the scenes, Dad is a keen competitor at RQ and is always up for being my training partner. Mum is getting back into the sport as well after a couple of years off, after completing a few sneaky half ironman triathlons ... it's been great having her back on the water.
WQ: You had Max as a coach ... very lucky! What attributes make for a great coach? How did you choose Max?
Jo: Yes, I was very lucky to be able to work with Max. I'm not sure it was a matter of me choosing him .... rather of him finding me! Max is a very positive and exuberant person which helped me a lot when racing got a bit serious. He is also very goal focused, dedicated and takes the time to consider the broader well-being of his athletes outside of sport which are really great attributes for any coach to have.
WQ: How have you coped with balancing your sailing career with pursuing academic and vocational pursuits?
Jo: It's been a challenge to balance sailing and other pursuits but it's definitely something that's doable. Having a good relationship with my university or manager at work, and being open about my sailing commitments, was always the first step for me. After that, it just comes down to having clear goals of what you want to achieve, being disciplined, and getting the work done.
WQ: Post Rio, what are your goals for windsurfing?
Jo: I haven't set any goals yet. I got back on the water a couple of months ago and am really enjoying training with the development squad at RQ. I'm planning to race at Melbourne International Regatta in December but after that it's still up in the air.
WQ: Do you have any sponsors?
Jo: Not at the moment ... I let all of my supporters know that I wouldn't be racing in 2017 so that I could focus on my studies. Throughout my career I've received a lot of support from Australian Sailing, the Queensland Academy of Sport and Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.
WQ: What fitness regime do you follow - gym, running, aerobics etc.?
Jo: Currently I have a lot of early starts and late finishes during the week, so I'm mostly doing crossfit, yoga and running. On the weekends, and any other time I can squeeze it in, I love getting out on the water, either windsurfing or surfing, and riding my road bike.
WQ: What advice would you proffer to young, up and coming windsurfers?
Jo: My advice would be that windsurfing is a tough sport, so stick with it and enjoy the process. You'll improve much quicker if you find people to sail with who challenge you, and if you aren't afraid to ask lots of questions. Push it to the limits in training but also don't forget to look after yourself and your well-being ..... develop insight into when you need to back off and this will help you to be smart with your training.
WQ: Thank you Jo for your generosity. On behalf of the entire Windsurfing Queensland community, congratulations for being such a fantastic role model for young sailors!
Yours sincerely,
Mark Harper
Windsurfing Queensland
