Athena Pathway
Building a Long-Term, Equitable Pathway in High-Performance Sailing
Building a Long-Term, Equitable Pathway in High-Performance Sailing
Athena Pathway is a programme for British female and youth athletes, led by double Olympic Gold Medallist Hannah Mills OBE. Its mission is to fast-track the development of professional sailors, level the playing field in high-performance foiling, and increase diversity within the sport, both on and off the water.
Founded in August 2022 by Hannah Mills and Sir Ben Ainslie, Athena Pathway also places sustainability at its core. Guided by the ethos of “People, Planet and Purpose,” the initiative empowers athletes to use their platforms to drive meaningful action in the fight against climate change.
The Programme's first major milestone was entering teams in the Youth America’s Cup and the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup in Barcelona 2024, both reaching the podium, with Youth placing third and Women finishing as runners-up.
Alongside the America’s Cup, Athena Pathway also have a partnership in Weymouth in a collaboration with the Andrew Simpson Foundation’s Performance Academy, which delivers world-class coaching in the one-design foiling WASZP dinghy to a squad of British Youth sailors.
“Sailing has made great strides forward in gender equality in recent decades, led by the Olympic side of the sport. The professional side, however, particularly in high-performance foiling sailing, is far behind where it needs to be. We as a sport are uniquely placed to drive huge global change when it comes to gender equality. High-performance sailing has no major barriers to physical entry and through the Athena Pathway we will create a gender equal pathway for all, with sustainability at its heart.” - Hannah Mills (OBE)
