Collaboration
Athena Foiling Pathway
The Athena Pathway is a programme for female and youth athletes led by double Olympic Gold Medallist Hannah Mills (OBE), which aims to fast-track development in professional sailing, level the playing field in high-performance foiling, and bring diversity into the sport at its highest level.
The Pathway has been founded with sustainability at its core, with an ethos of ‘People, Planet and Purpose’ seeking to empower athletes to use their voices to spearhead positive change.
Athena Foiling Pathway participants benefit from Performance Academy’s world-class coaching and expertise, while support from WASZP enables them to get to grips with the art of foiling in the accessible, one-design dinghy in preparation for joining the highly competitive global WASZP circuit.
UK WASZP distributor Sailingfast will contribute technical expertise and assist in maintaining squad members’ boats to racing standards.
Partnering with the Andrew Simpson Performance Academy to deliver the Athena Foiling Pathway is a huge step towards retaining more young people in our sport and delivering a pathway for female and youth sailors to develop a career at the top end of our sport.”
Hannah Mills OBE
British Olympic champion sailor, Athena Pathway Co-Founder and Team Principal
Following its successful launch in 2023, the programme has since expanded to include dedicated U18, U21, and Women’s WASZP squads. This expansion is designed to provide British female and youth athletes with the experiences and opportunities they need to achieve future success in professional foiling racing, with a clear trajectory towards competitions like the Youth & Women’s America’s Cup and SailGP.
2024/2025 introduced a ‘train alongside’ scheme aimed at increasing access to sailing for young people from diverse backgrounds across the UK, as well as the continuation of taster sessions for first-time foilers. This initiative underscores the ASF and Athena Pathway’s commitment to inclusivity, equity, and broadening participation in the sport.
As a key part of the new programme for female and youth athletes headed by Hannah, the partnership directly aligns with our aims and objectives as an organisation, to inspire and provide more opportunities, experience, and skill development for young people on the water. In this case, providing talented young sailors in the Performance space, not necessarily with foiling experience, with a Pathway into professional foiling racing and the America’s Cup.”
Richard Percy
CEO, Andrew Simpson Foundation
