EMILIE Wade, a 15-year-old rising star in Fiji’s sailing community will represent the nation at the Youth Sailing World Championships Emerging Nations Programme in Vilamoura, Portugal this December.
Her journey continues a proud family tradition as she is the granddaughter of Anthony Colin Philp (Tony Senior), Olympian & President of the Oceania Sailing Federation and the niece of Anthony Steven “Tony” Philp, Fiji’s legendary world champion windsurfer and five-time Olympian.
At age 14, Wade transitioned from the Junior Optimist class into Windsurfing and then into the fast-growing Olympic pathway class, iQFoil.
Together with a small group of young female sailors, she helped establish Fiji’s first junior iQFoil fleet, training relentlessly to lift the standard for youth windsurfing in the country.
Within a matter of months, Fiji Yachting and its partners secured starter equipment, hosted a junior coaching clinic with New Zealand and sent the first junior team abroad for further training.
For Fiji, Wade’s participation represents a breakthrough moment in diversifying Olympic-class pathways.
Her selection for the Emerging Nations Programme (ENP), a four-day clinic leading into the Youth Sailing World Championships is in line with the goals of the ENP.
The ENP was created by World Sailing to support athletes from developing sailing nations, offering coaching, equipment guidance and international exposure.
Tony Philp Junior remains a household name in Fiji sport.
He won 13 individual Windsurfer World titles, including four overall world championships and represented Fiji at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000.
At just 15, he was the youngest windsurfer at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, later topping the world rankings in 1997.
His achievements placed Fiji alongside global sailing powerhouses and inspired generations of Pacific islanders to see the ocean as a pathway to excellence.
For Wade, stepping into the iQFoil class is a continuation of her family’s legacy.
Her participation in Portugal will mark the first time in decades that a member of the family carries Fiji’s flag at a world-level sailing event.
With sailing excluded from the 2031 Pacific Games in Tonga and uncertainty around iQFoil’s Olympic status for Brisbane 2032, opportunities for island nations remain limited.
From December 7–20, Wade will train and compete in Vilamoura, Portugal, supported by her grandfather Anthony Colin Philp as her nominated guardian.
As Team Fiji looks ahead, Emilie’s campaign is more than a single regatta; it’s a signal of what’s possible when global partnerships meet local ambition.
We thank World Sailing’s ENP for its targeted support and we invite the Fiji community and regional partners to get behind Emilie and the wider iQFOiL pathway. Follow her progress from Vilamoura as she takes her place on the Youth Worlds start line.
All the best Emilie.
