Paul Risseeuw Sportsmanship Award

2018 Lily Flack      Wadawanuck

Lily has demonstrated sportsmanship and leadership throughout the past years. She always has a smile on her face and is welcoming to all sailors. Even when she is not feeling well, she is supportive of her teammates and puts forward her best effort.

Lily is a competitive sailor but she never allows competition to define who she is and what she stands for. She is a model athlete - she sails for the fun of the game, is supportive of her fellow sailors, and honors the rules not just by the letter of the law but for the intent for which they were written. Lily's support of sailing and her fellow sailors moves beyond the water and is demonstrated by the actions she takes off the water.  She is always willing to lend a helping hand to younger (and older) sailors.

Lily recognizes the sport of sailing is more than just the competition. She works hard to be welcoming and inclusive in many aspects of the sport. She is a role model, especially for girls, and has worked hard to make sailing be more inclusive.

Outside of the ECSA summer sailing program, she has been an integral part of the Mudratz sailing program and without her hard work and initiative we would not have such a strong girls team. Lily is constantly thinking outside of herself. This past winter, she helped to organize a beach cleanup and fundraiser to help support sailing venues impacted by the hurricanes last fall. Thanks to her hard work and planning, she made it possible for a youth team to compete in St. Petersburg this spring. 

This summer she has been working hard to create a sailing opportunity for kids who have been affected by cancer. This has required significant planning and Lily has been the driver that has made it happen.

In summary, Lily is the epitome of a Corinthian sailor. She works hard, she cares passionately about the sport, she supports others, and she works for access and equitability for all.