Making waves
NEVER- SAY- DIE Tytherington sailor Adam Russ is creating waves on the world stage after a summer touring major competitions across the continent.
The high achieving King’s School student celebrated three A*s, three As, two Bs and a C in this summer’s GCSEs with trips to Ega in Denmark to represent Great Britain in the Laser Radial Under-17 European Youth Championships and then onto Dziwnow in Poland for the world event.
The RYA selected Adam in the wake of fellow King’s sailor Elliot Hanson, who is now on the verge of an Olympic berth, for his outstanding potential and he’s repaid their faith with some strong performances.
Still aged only 15 at the time of the competitions and racing against sailors two years his senior, Adam came 44th in the European Championships and 34th in the Worlds.
He then returned to the Britain to compete at UK Laser Radial National Championships in Largs, Scotland, an open-age event for adults as well as juniors, finishing 29th out of 70 in the youth category.
Adam said: “To be a top sailor you must be fearless and have a never-say-die attitude. What distinguishes Sir Ben Ainslie from the rest is that he simply never gives up. He can be down, but he’s never out and that’s a fantastic motto for all young British sailors to emulate.”
Supported by some personal sponsorship from Williams BMW and his parents, Karen and Phil Russ, the family has spent many days on European roads and ferries, towing the boat and clocking up 190,000 miles in their car.
He said: “It’s all about time management, not just for me and my school work but for mum and dad as well.
“There are events all over the country and we spend many weekends travelling to Weymouth for the RYA squad sessions.”
His next ambition is to make the RYA Volvo National Youth Squad and then the Olympic Development Squad and to that end is competing in this month’s Laser European and World Qualifiers.
Mum Karen said: “Adam is incredibly dedicated. He goes to the gym many times a week to tone his muscles and he is meticulous about his diet. No burgers, chips, pizza or anything like that, no fizzy drinks and very limited juice, he mainly drinks water and milk.”
Adam’s home club is Redesmere and he thanked the club for his start in the sport, saying: “It’s a wonderful club and I couldn’t recommend highly enough any youngster starting under their watchful eye, but most of all I want to thank Mum and Dad and Williams BMW.”
Barry Edwards, who began coaching sailing at Kings in 1971, said: “Adam is is very determined and the harder you work the better you get.
“He certainly seems to have the work ethic to make it.”