INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION

Nadja Horwitz and Sofia Middleton Inspired for Rio 2016

Chile’s Benjamin Grez/Diego Gonzalez represented their nation at the 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition in the 470 Men, the first time Chile had a team in the 470 event since the 1984 Olympics. Grez and Gonzalez’s coach headed out to the 470 Junior Europeans in Italy with a special gift for the Chilean 470 Women team of Nadja Horwitz/Sofia Middleton.

Yesterday he handed over Grez and Gonzalez’s athlete bibs from the Olympic Games, which Nadja and Sofia will be proudly wearing out racing today. Only a year ago Grez/Gonzalez were competing at the 420 World Championships in Argentina and picked up the bronze medal. A few months later they swapped to the 470 and the rest is history!

Sofia said, “Yeh, it is pretty motivating. It is like our inspiration. To be a year ago in the 420, then start in the 470 and go to the Olympics is something amazing. It demonstrates that it is possible. You know, we are from Chile which is a very small country. We don’t have any support of the country and to be there is very inspiring and very special.”

Middleton was watching the Closing Ceremony on television last night, “I didn’t see them. But being there with all the athletes is like, wow a dream that we want to reach.”

Horwitz/Middleton last week competed at the 2012 420 World Championships and secured the bronze medal. Horwitz competed at the Four Star Pizza ISAF Youth World with a different crew, as Middleton was too old to compete, finishing fourth. At the 2011 ISAF Youths, the team were together and finished sixth.

They look to have every chance of copying the achievements of their heroes come the 2016 Olympic Games - go girls.

Benjamin Grez/Diego Gonzalez (CHI) OnEdition

13/8/2012 12:05