Miami native Sarah Newberry Moore is just two races away from qualifying for a spot on the U.S. sailing team. NBC6’s Lorena Inclán reports
It’s one of the most physically demanding sports in the Olympic games, and a South Florida native is looking to win it all.
Sarah Newberry Moore is just two races away from qualifying for a spot on the U.S. sailing team.
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“In the fall last year, we qualified the USA for a spot, which is the most important component of qualification," Moore said. "It means that the U.S. has a spot, we can compete at the games, and we did that at the Pan-American games in Chile; we were second."
The Miami native is only two races away from officially qualifying for the Nacra 17 race along with her sailing partner. It would be her first time competing in the Olympics.
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Right now, she’s training in Europe, but before she left, she and her husband invited NBC6 into their home on the Miami River.
For Moore, growing up in a city surrounded by water was the perfect place to learn to sail. It also helped that sailing runs in her family.
“I’m a third-generation sailor, native Miamian, and I learned to sail here in Miami, and it was just the best experience ever,” Moore said.
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She started competing at age 12. Now she’s the top-ranked female multihull skipper in the U.S.
“What I love the most about sailing is that there’s never not a challenge, there’s always some type of obstacle to overcome when you’re trying to achieve at the Olympic level,” she said.
Those obstacles are heightened on the water when you’re going full speed for 35 minutes in a race against time and your body goes fully horizontal over the waves.
Competitive sailing is not only physically demanding but also almost a year-round sport. Moore sails about 200 days out of the year in different places around the world — a feat she said she couldn’t have accomplished without the support of her teammate in life.
“Right after the wedding, I told my husband, ‘This guy really wants to sail with me, and we want to campaign for the Olympics. I’m so sorry can we put the honeymoon on hold?’ And my husband said yes, so I have the best husband in the world," Moore said.
Many Olympic athletes are grassroots funded, meaning they must raise their own money to compete in the summer games. The campaign costs around $380,000 a year. The U.S. Olympic team will fund some of that but the rest, Moore and her sailing partner have to raise themselves.
“As a native of Miami, I’m always interested in representing companies that are from my city, so sponsors are a great way for us to gain support,” she said.
As she heads into the final stretch of Olympic qualifications, Sarah hopes to inspire the next generation of sailors, especially young girls, and her son.
“To win a medal at the games would be the biggest dream, but I can definitely tell you that as an athlete who is also a mom, my biggest accomplishment feels like being able to set the example for my son that women are powerful and strong,” she said.
