EVERY MONTH, A YOUNG MARY PETERS TRUST ATHLETE SPELLS OUT HOW THE CHARITY IS AIDING THE PURSUIT OF THEIR SPORTING DREAMS
Athlete: Erin McIlwaine
Sport: Sailing
KILKEEL sailor Erin McIlwaine’s partnership with good friend Ellen Barbour only began in March of this year and the pair have a future dream goal – qualification for the 2028 LA Olympics and beyond to Brisbane in 2032.
Both closely followed the Irish sailing team members, Eve McMahon, Finn Lynch, Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove, at this year’s Paris Olympics – athletes they both know well – and are keen to follow their example by becoming Olympians in four years’ time.
Erin and Ellen have trained and competed as part of the RYA Northern Ireland Sailing Academy since their early teens and have known each other well for several years. However, both had sailed with different partners and found themselves solo at the same time, hence the fortuitous team-up.
The girls compete together in the 49er FX class, a double-handed high-performance sailing dinghy. The 49er is a women’s Olympic class which is designed to suit the weight of an elite female crew.
The two sailors work on different roles. The ‘helm’ makes many tactical decisions as well as steering, with the ‘crew’ doing most of the sail control. Erin says: “We each suit our roles very well and have an excellent partnership.”
Erin is thrilled to be a Mary Peters Trust athlete and says that support from Mary and her Trust is hugely invaluable:
“I simply wouldn’t be able to undertake half of what I do without Trust funding. So much of my training is in Europe, and Trust support enables me to enter and travel to international competitions,” Erin affirms.
Sport is in the family DNA. Erin’s mum scuba-dived, whilst her dad rock climbed. Both parents joined Newcastle Yacht Club where Erin’s elder brother Luke learned to sail.
“Our parents went on to buy a family boat and taught me to sail when I was around five, then I began competing age nine,’ explains Erin.
‘I started off on a ‘Mirror’, then moved on to a Topper class dinghy. At 14 I was sailing a 29er and then advanced to a 49er in 2022 when I was 18.
“Luke, my brother, is just over three years older than me, and we’ve spent our lives sailing together.
“He’s been a great inspiration to me – a role model too. I followed him around the circuit for many years and we sailed a 29er together for three years. That period was a pivotal moment in the development of my sailing career and Luke really helped me go forward.
“Luke is still heavily involved in the sport. He still races and currently coaches the Northern Ireland Topper squad.”
Erin with Lady Mary Peters
Erin attended Kilkeel High School and went on to win a sports and academic scholarship to Trinity College Dublin where she is mid-way through a physiotherapy degree.
“Gaining a scholarship allows me to have academic flexibility which is brilliant. As I’m based in Dublin and part of the 49er FX Olympic Development Team, I train at Royal St George Yacht Club in Dún Laoghaire. It’s where the Irish Sailing Performance Centre is based,” she adds.
“Wintertime, we travel to countries such as Portugal, Mallorca and the Canary Islands to train.”
“My best achievement to date is winning first Female category in the Topper World Championships in China when I was 14 (in 2018). I also gained massive experience last August (2023) competing in my first Tier 1 senior event in The Hague.
“It was the World Championships, and I was sailing against current Olympic medallists. I learned so much and I’m really looking forward to the next Senior World Championships in 2025.”
This summer, Erin and Ellen’s first regatta together took place in Kiel, Germany and the pair were very happy with their overall performance.
“We finished in 11th place (joint 10th) which meant we were just outside of medal race contention, but ended our regatta on a high with a third-place finish in the final race,” she says.
The Junior World Championships were held in Galicia, Spain in July 2024 and the duo had a rocky start with some breakages and disqualifications. Erin adds: “Nevertheless, we kept our heads high and climbed places consistently throughout the rest of the event.
“It wasn’t the result we were hoping for, but we’re proud of our ‘never give up’ mentality and have so many key takeaways that we’ll work on throughout the winter training block.”
The season finishes with the 49er British National Championships in Weymouth, England before a busy winter training schedule in Ireland, Valencia and Vilamoura.
Erin concludes: “I finish my degree in June 2026, then it’s heads down with Olympic preparation in the hope of qualification and selection for LA. That would be wonderful.
“Sailing and sport will always be a big part of my life, and I hope to focus on physiotherapy within a sports setting as a career. I’ve two years to go on my course and several more placements to undertake.
“I really love my course, and Ellen is also studying Physiotherapy in Trinity, which makes time management easier when it comes to studying and training. We can really help each other out with this.
“After graduation the plan is to sail full-time and focus on the LA Olympics in 2028. It’s something Ellen and I both agree on.”
Erin on the high seas
