Anna Weis: Welcome to my Ted Talk

It was at the beginning of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic quad when Anna Weis stepped out of her Laser Radial and got acquainted with Rio 2016 Olympian Bora Gulari and the Nacra 17. This new pair was preparing for the 2017 World Cup Series Miami, and it would be her first go in the Mixed Multihull event.

During the quad, there was some shuffling among USA Nacra 17 teams, and Weis connected with Riley Gibbs in what would prove to be a formidable duo, claiming the Gold Medal in the 2019 Pan American Games and finishing 9th overall at the 2020 Olympic Games.

With Gibbs now a core team member of the NYYC American Magic America’s Cup challenger, Weis is splitting her time between the U.S. SailGP Team and pursuing the Paris 2024 Olympics in the Women’s Windsurfing event.

As she ventures further into the pointy end of the sport, the 24 year old offers this ‘Ted Talk’ on Instagram:

Female athletes often in society are judged by appearance. We are often displayed and viewed as the good looking ones as if that is all we are good for. We have this immense underlying pressure to come off as confident but not cocky and ask questions but not overstep. Most importantly we feel the need to keep our guard up just for our own comfort and safety.

Physically, I don’t train to look a certain way, I train to be strong and powerful and better myself every day to be the best that I can be in my sport and life. In fact, I don’t fit into society’s mold of what women “should” look like or even what women might be most “desirable”. This is extremely challenging at times; however it’s important to recognize that women are so much more than their appearance.

We want to be portrayed as what we can do and not by what we look like. I don’t sail and train hard to look pretty or cool, I sail because I love it and I want to be the best athlete that I can be.

I’m so excited and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of Sail GP season 3 to learn and continue to become the best sailor I can be, gender completely aside. We as women need to keep pushing in the sport and keep breaking barriers.

I feel like this topic isn’t talked about enough so let’s talk more. Sooo, what do we think? 😁

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk