How I Became Kitesurfing’s First Olympic Champion | Ellie Aldridge

Performance People

Ellie Aldridge was on track to be a dinghy sailor when a chance to try kiteboarding ahead of its Olympic debut came up. Quickly, she had to choose which sport to focus on. It was a decision that would change her life. Just six years later she became the sport’s inaugural Olympic champion in Marseille.

In the latest episode in our ‘A Moment in Time’ series of Performance People with the Inside Tack podcast, Ellie looks back on that golden moment this summer - how she handled the tricky conditions, why she never allowed herself a second to imagine that gold medal and what it really feels like to fly across the ocean to win a flawless race and make history.

She also explains the challenge of having to maintain an unnaturally heavy weight in order to compete and what it means for her title defence in LA in 2028.

Now a sailor in the Women’s America’s Cup team, Ellie also discusses her role in the British Athena team as it tries to make history in Barcelona.

---

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.