Isabelle Kinsolving is a city girl – she was born and raised in New York City – who learned to sail while summering with her grandmother on Fishers Island.  Although she did not race sailboats seriously until she attended college, she was a versatile athlete who played soccer and ice hockey during her early school years.  Between fifth through ninth grade, she was one of only three girls to play on a co-ed ice hockey team in New York City.

Isabelle went off to boarding school – the Groton School – and began rowing crew.  In her senior year she was co-captain of the girl’s ice hockey team, and won the New England Interscholastic Rowing Association Championship, finishing fifth at nationals.  At Yale University, she divided her time between the Women’s Varsity Ice Hockey Team and the Club Sailing Team, quitting hockey in her sophomore year in order to spend more time sailing. 

She teamed up with Katie McDowell in 2000, during her sophomore year, and went from her traditional position of skipper to the new-to-her role of crew.  Within a year the team was ranked nationally, and when Isabelle graduated from Yale in 2002, they began a full-time campaign for the Olympics.

Katie and Isabelle started the Olympic Trials strong, posting three back-to-back bullets. However, they were being pushed hard by another team.  At one point in the 16-race series, the two teams were tied on points, but Katie and Isabelle kept their heads down and after winning the first race (of two) on the final day of the series, they were able to retire from racing having mathematically secured their trip to Athens.

 Just the Facts: