From the highest levels of elite Olympic caliber international competition to the grass-roots of youth sailing participation in local inner-city communities, Pam Healy has put her heart and soul behind every facet of sailing she has ever been part of, on and off the water. Healy has been named Sailor of the Month for her efforts in teaching sailing to inner-city youth from the greater Oakland, California area with positive and inspiring results.
Healy serves as the liaison between the board of directors at the St. Francis Yacht Club and the St. Francis Sailing Foundation. She is highly involved in fundraisers for the foundation and as an advocate for community outreach by providing high performance clinics regionally. Last year, Healy coached the sailing team at Envision Academy in Oakland on Wednesday afternoons. The Envision team not only learned how to race, but they learned how to work together as a team, and have competed in several local regattas.
“We are working on providing more access to local public high schools in the city of San Francisco,” said Healy. “It takes time to organize but we are committed as a club to give back in a meaningful way to our community.”
When she was asked what inspires her to be so involved in the development of youth sailing to inner-city areas she said, “I find it incredibly lucky to have the skill set and free time to give back in a meaningful way. Sharing my love of the sport to others is easy. Watching these hardworking kids learn to be self-sufficient in a sailboat is a skill that empowers them, gives them confidence, and gets them outside on our beautiful bay; a unique experience not available to many. Even if they take a break from sailing while they attend college they now have the basics down, so they can jump back in anytime later in life.”
She also enjoys volunteering at Treasure Island Sailing Center by mentoring youth sailors, including sailors with Olympic aspirations. Healy won a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games with teammate JJ Fetter and is a former 470 World Champion.
“Being a member of the most successful US Sailing Team in history was impactful and impressed upon me the responsibility and duty to give back to the future generation of sailors.”
