THE waters that first introduced Sophia Morgan to sailing have become the place where she hopes to inspire Fiji’s next generation of athletes.
Years after learning the sport at the Royal Suva Yacht Club, the 22-year-old and two-time Olympian has returned home as one of four coaches leading a four-day coaching exchange program aimed at strengthening grassroots sailing.
Morgan represented Fiji at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games before returning to help nurture the sport that launched her international career.
Now based in Aukland, New Zealand, where she coaches at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club, Morgan is working alongside coaches from New Zealand in partnership with the Royal Suva Yacht Club and Savusavu Yacht Club to introduce more young people to sailing while also helping develop local coaches.
The initiative is being delivered through the Junior Sailing Workshop, which is currently underway at the Royal Suva Yacht Club and will run until Sunday.
“We’ve brought four coaches over, and we’ve been doing an upskilling program, teaching kids how to sail while also developing the local coaches to inspire the next generation.”
The program began in Savusavu, where about 46 sailors, coaches, volunteers and parents took part in on-water sessions involving children aged between six and 14 years.
Activities have since moved to Suva, where around 15 young sailors participated on the opening day (yesterday), with more expected to join throughout the week after school commitments.
Morgan said the program is about far more than introducing children to sailing. It is designed to create a sustainable pathway that allows young sailors to progress from learning the basics to competing on the international stage.
“We’re starting from the ground up. The goal is to get kids out and enjoying sailing, teaching them along the way and eventually getting them racing at international regattas.”
The initiative is already producing encouraging signs. Several sailors recently competed at the New Zealand National Championships, while another young Fijian has earned selection to represent the country at the Youth World Championships.
For Morgan, returning to the same club where her own sailing journey began has made the experience especially meaningful.
“It’s been really exciting being able to come back after doing high-performance sport and representing Fiji at the Olympics and now giving back to the next generation of sailors.”
She hopes the workshop will continue to grow the sport across Fiji and encourage more young people to embrace sailing, not only as a competitive sport but as a lifelong opportunity.
