Sailing - Crew

 

Ryan Samantha Carson

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It’s often been said that I’ve lived more lives than most. Born an Air Force brat, my 26 years have been spent living in four different countries and six states. The unique geography of my life has also lent itself to equally unique experiences: At the age of four, I learned how to snowboard in the mountains of Japan; at 10 years old, I began surfing under the tutelage of professional surfers in Florida; at 15, I began pursuing my pilot’s license; by 17, I was a rescue SCUBA diver; at 18, I simultaneously became a dolphin trainer and began studying foreign policy with the guidance of federal and international political leaders; at 21, I was working with gorillas, lions, and hippopotami; and at 24, I learned how to sail. 

In the span of a month, I went from not knowing how to sail, to learning how to race J/70s, to becoming a full-fledged certified sailing instructor – which is just what happens when you find your soul’s calling, I suppose. 

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In the last year, I’ve taken my newfound passion for sailing and have spent hundreds of hours buoy and distance racing J/70s, Martin 242s, J/120s, J/111s, 505s, 29ers, Nacras, and Hobie 16s around North America and Europe; have logged hundreds of miles cruising the Salish Sea; and have accumulated nearly 2,000 offshore miles sailing around the Mediterranean and Atlantic.

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This next adventure, sailing with Team Valkyrie, is one near and dear to my heart. Our mission is to create an accessible, welcoming, and encouraging platform for women to find their voice through sailing – the sport that instilled within me an unparalleled level of confidence, self-sufficiency, and candor that I wouldn’t have found otherwise. To be able to share that with other women, thus inspiring the next generation of sailors, is the wholehearted goal for this next life of mine. Step one in achieving that goal? North to Alaska.