From surfing to sailing: A Q&A with Laila Opanubi

Can you tell us why you applied for the YouFor2032 testing session?

I applied for the YouFor2032 testing session hoping to find a new sport that I could be competitive in and liked the sound of being in the Olympics.

Were you already playing sports?

Yes, I was playing a lot of sports but surfing was the one that I did the most and enjoyed. I was surfing all the time and took lessons. I also did dance, doing ballet on pointe.

How did it feel to be identified by QAS?

At first, I was shocked and surprised that I had made it this far, but it felt really cool to see that my hard work had paid off and be one to watch.

Tell us about your training routine with Sailing and how you’re enjoying it so far?

My training routine for Wing Foiling consists of driving to Brisbane twice a week for training at Manly. There, I am on the water for 2-3 hours practicing, falling and trying to learn and improve my skills. I love foiling because it feels like I am flying, I get to be on the water and soak up the learning process and have fun. Recently, I have added two sessions a week at the QAS gym at USC.

How are you juggling school and training?

It’s not too bad. Sometimes I have to sacrifice a training session for schoolwork or schoolwork for training. Being in my final year of school I focus on my schoolwork but still make time to train and get out on the water when I can.

What are you currently focusing on in your training and what’s next for you?

My current focus in my training is getting speed and perfecting my tacks, ready to implement this into a race setting. I would love to continue to compete in races and hopefully enter freestyle/wave riding competitions.

What advice would you give to kids who want to try Sailing or thinking of registering for the YouFor2032 program?

The advice I would give kids thinking of trying sailing is to just do it. Send it and take risks. You won’t know until you try it and don’t want to regret not going. I started from the very beginning, not even knowing what wing foiling was and sent it to get where I am today.

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