Athena Pathway Crew
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Hannah Mills
Helm
Hannah MillsHelmHannah Mills OBE is one of the most successful female Olympic sailors in history.
Mills made her Olympic debut at the 2012 Olympics in London, winning a silver medal in the 470 class with her teammate Saskia Clark. The duo excelled, winning several World Titles and securing gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Hannah’s dominance continued at the Tokyo Olympics, where she won gold once again, which led to her winning the 2021 World Sailor of the Year award.
Hannah is on-board Strategist for the Emirates GBR SailGP Team and was part of the 2025 Season Championship winning crew. Mills is passionate about supporting women and youth access to opportunities in the marine industry and created the Athena Pathway Programme with Sir Ben Ainslie to fast-track development and increase diversity in high-performance sailing.
Hannah is an advocate for using sport to spearhead climate action and marine conservation, serving as a Sustainability Ambassador for the International Olympic Committee and founding the Big Plastic Pledge, an initiative focused on reducing single-use plastic in sport. -
Ellie Aldridge
Helm
Ellie AldridgeHelmEllie Aldridge is a British sailor and Athena Pathway team member. Born on 29 December 1996 in Poole, Dorset, Aldridge began sailing at a young age at Parkstone Yacht Club and went on to excel across multiple high-performance disciplines.
She rose to international prominence in kitefoiling, winning the 2023 Formula Kite European Championship and a silver medal at the World Championships, before making history at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she became the first Olympic gold medallist in the women’s Formula Kite event.
Following her Olympic success, Aldridge joined Athena Pathway’s Women’s and Youth America’s Cup programme in Barcelona, where she contributed both on and off the water and gained experience with high-speed AC40 foiling race boats.
Her diverse sailing background and competitive mindset enrich Athena Pathway’s mission to fast-track female and youth talent in highperformance sailing, combining world-class racing with innovation and development opportunities. -
Matt Beck
Trimmer
Matt BeckTrimmerMatt started sailing at the age of 12 on a small lake in the Cotswolds. He quickly caught the sailing bug and went on to compete at the Optimist Worlds in 2015. From there, he progressed through different Laser classes and eventually discovered foiling, which made him fall in love with sailing all over again.
Beck was on top of the world in the Waszp class in 2021 and began transitioning into kite foiling through the RYA’s “Kite For Gold” programme. He then took on the challenge of a lifetime with Athena Pathway as part of the British squad for the 2024 Youth America’s Cup in Barcelona, where the team finished on the podium in third place.
As a senior youth sailor, he combines his on-water role with coaching and management of the team simulator, using his experience to help guide the next generation of youth sailors. -
Sam Webb
Trimmer
Sam WebbTrimmerSam Webb began sailing at a young age, first getting on the water at just 5 years old in Lymington. He quickly progressed through the British youth pathway from the optimist development squad to success in the RSFEva class. He established himself as a leading talent with national and international titles to his name in the 29er.
In 2026, Sam came through the Athena Pathway open application process, standing out during the simulator trials. He subsequently joined the team in Cagliari and will now be onboard the AC40 for the Preliminary Regatta, marking the next step in his transition into elite-level foiling competition.