Isabella Bertold Next Gen Legacy Fund

As a two-time recipient of the Canadian Female Sailor of the year award, Isabella Bertold raised the standard of sailing in her country as she pursued the Olympic Games.

She blazed her trail early as the youngest sailor, at 13 years, to be named to the Senior Canadian National Team. Her fourth at the Youth Sailing World Championships further launched her trajectory in the ILCA 6, ultimately achieving a career high #2 world ranking.

Despite falling shore of her own Olympic aspirations, the British Columbian remains eager to help others achieve their goals. Scuttlebutt HQ has long been a fan of Isabella, so we are pleased to share the launch of her new initiative.

The mission of the Isabella Bertold Next Gen Legacy Fund is to provide BC Sailing with money to deliver high performance development programs for sailors qualifying for the BC Provincial team along with supporting sailors that pursue top international performances.

Bertold sees the sport as hugely influential for personal development. “Sailing made me who I am,” she notes. “All of the long training days, the highs and the lows, and all of the characters who passed on their life experience— I am a sailor.”

She fell into the sport of sailing when her single-mother signed her up for sailing school at the age of five. “My mom needed to keep me busy whilst she was working,” said Bertold. “Little did she know that this would be such a life-changing deci2 ion. I fell into the sport of sailing by chance.”

Her family’s situation meant that much of her early development was subsidized through BC Sailing, and the support of generous donors who believed not only in her as a sailor, but also as an individual. This was critical to secure necessary equipment, travel, coaching and access to training groups.

“The skills and experiences I had as an elite athlete have shaped me into the person that I am today,” she reflects. “My athletic achievements helped me earn admission to the Sauder School of Business, and my success on the international stage opened career doors.

“I am very grateful for those experiences and for the support I received, and now I want to give back to the next generation of youth sailors.”

Provincial team programming is dependent on government funding and donations, and Bertold looks forward to personally donating annually, as well as donating her time toward provincial team camps.

By launching this intuitive, she hopes that her long-time supporters will continue their legacy of helping sailors and to lay a path for new contributors. All donations are eligible for a tax receipt. Donate here: https://m.charitableimpact.com/7bSr