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"It was such an honour to represent the USA at a young age," said Railey who became an ISAF Youth World Champion in 2003 and 2005. "I was so excited to compete against foreign athletes and to see what other countries had to offer with their athletes."

"I remember being extremely nervous at my first Youth Worlds. I was sailing around the race course saying, 'Oh my gosh, there are so many countries here…Oh man, I am so nervous!' I was like 'what country is that?' But then I said 'whatever, I am Paige Railey from the USA and I am here to represent!'"

Competing at an early age instilled important lessons into Railey. "It taught me to deal with pressure," she said. "I learned to sail in small fleets with lots of media pressure. It was difficult to qualify for the event (similar to the Trials for the Olympics), and then all of the pressure to perform is placed upon you. It taught me to keep things in perspective. I compete because I love it. I am here to show everyone what I have been working on, and I will believe in myself and never give up!"

Railey also added her advice to this year's competitors, "Have fun and enjoy the Youth Worlds experience. You can learn so much and meet people who you will be competing against in the future. But remember this, stay confident, believe in yourself and always think I can!"

www.isafyouthworlds.com