I first sailed with the Sea Scouts in a Lelievlet. After a few years, I realized I wanted to sail faster boats. Through experience on smaller boats, I came across an Instagram post about Holland Ocean Racing, and I knew I couldn’t let this opportunity pass. As a child, I had always dreamed of sailing on an Ocean Racer. So the chance to train every weekend on a VO60 and even compete in races was something I couldn’t miss. My sailing experience was modest, especially when it came to all the terms used on board, the numerous lines, and the many different sails. When I joined as a trainee, I was 14 years old and by far the youngest on the team. I realized I would have to give 300% to keep up with the team and learn as much as possible. Fortunately, the coaches and skippers were very friendly and eager to explain everything. In my first years, I learned a lot—mostly by making mistakes and learning from them. I spent five years on the team, during which I experienced every position on board. I started as a grinder, which was an ideal position to observe all the other roles and, of course, to demonstrate perseverance. Next, I became a main trimmer. I found this very interesting but not action-packed enough. Then I moved to the foredeck as a mast man. On the foredeck, I discovered this was my place on the boat, and I later combined it with the runners. I also spent time in the pit, which was fun as well. From the pit, you play an important role in communication and in coordinating all maneuvers. Later, I returned to the foredeck, this time as number 1. During races, I regularly trimmed the headsails and was often at the helm as well. This ultimately led to me receiving my crew certificate. During these five years, I had the opportunity to sail in numerous races: twice in the Rolex Fastnet Race, the Baltic Sea Race, Gotland Runt Race, four times in the North Sea Race, and four times in the Vuurschepen Race. I grew immensely as a sailor through the many miles I sailed. But even more importantly, I grew as a person. Being part of an offshore team at such a young age taught me many life lessons and provided experiences that I can carry into everyday life. Eventually, I made the decision to pursue my biggest dream: I was selected for a career in the military. Unfortunately, this meant I had to leave the team. Since the summer of 2024, I have been pursuing my training with the Defense Forces.