STRATHMORE – For Hannah Meers and Erin Flanagan, sailing is top priority these days, as the pair are campaigning to make it to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Currently, Meers and Flanagan are busy training and competing in Miami, where they have been since the end of November. The pair will come home to Canada for a month or so in the coming weeks, but will then head to Europe to continue training before the summer games.
Meers, 18, is from Strathmore. She started sailing and racing when she was 10-years-old out of Calgary Yacht Club in Chestermere, as well as the Newell Sailing Club near Brooks.
Flanagan, 26, was born in Calgary but now resides in Victoria. She started sailing at the Glenmore Sailing Club at the age of seven.
This past August, Flanagan needed a new skipper, and approached Meers about helping her with her campaign to get to the Olympics. Meers said that she didn’t hesitate to jump on board, although she had never raced the international 470 boat, having been instead accustomed to sailing the laser radial, a single-handed boat.
Since heading to Miami, the pair have been training hard and have competed in two regattas. Meers said that they didn’t have the results they had hoped for, but that it has been a huge learning curve and that they are continuing to work hard.
“I’m still fairly new to the boat, and we’re sailing against really good sailors and really high level competition,” she said. “I’m learning a ton every time I hit the water.”
“It’s been a great experience to be out there and be among so many talented people, because you’re able to pick up on what to do and what not to do.”
Meers said that her and Flanagan work extremely well together in the boat, and are improving all the time.
“We’re lucky that we have been able to come together and make it work so well,” she said. “It’s been nerve-wracking and I was pretty scared at first, but I got over it pretty quick.
“We’re meeting so many amazing people in the sailing community who we get to travel with, sail with and compete against for the next few months. It’s really exciting, we’re having a blast.”
In order to rally some support and raise some funds for their campaign, the Wild Rose Girls are hosting two events in the area this month.
The first is a dinner and dance, sponsored by the Cheadle Lions Club. It will be held on Feb. 18 at the hall in Cheadle, just off of highway 24. There will also be comedy provided by Steve Stubblejumpski. The dinner is at 6 p.m., with the dance to follow at 9 p.m. Tickets are $50 each, or anyone wishing to attend the dance only, a donation can be made at the door. Tickets are available at Bank Gym in Strathmore, or by calling 403-650-2674.
The second event will be a wine and cheese gala, sponsored by the Calgary Yacht Club and the Newell Sailing Club, at the South Calgary Community Association on Feb. 25. Brian Keating will be the guest speaker, and there will be a silent auction. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at Glenmore Boats Calgary or by calling 403-650-2674.
All proceeds for these events will help Meers and Flanagan cover the costs of their campaign.
”We’ve already had an incredible amount of support so far, it’s been incredible,” Meers said. “It means a lot to have the community show their support and show that they’re on our side.
“When you have people rooting for you, it makes it easier to get up and keep going every day.”
For more information about the Wild Rose Girls, go to wildrosegirls.ca, or find them on Facebook and Twitter.
