RVC teen aims for glory

For Ryan Schmitz, a senior at South Side High School, sailing is a true passion. But if you ask his mother, Elisabeth, she’ll tell you it didn’t start out that way.

“It used to be a chore for him,” she said. “Sailing has gone from being a chore to a passion … Ryan’s a water guy for sure now.”

Schmitz, who will turn 18 at the end of the month, has become an expert at sailing through his own hard work and dedication. He started practicing the sport at the Port Washington Yacht Club when he was only eight years old. There, he practiced during the summer months as a novice. And he eventually developed such a keen interest in the sport that he later moved to laser sailing — in a one-person boat.

Schmitz now occasionally commutes to Miami, Fla. to attend training sessions for the United States Olympic Team. He was selected as one of 55 athletes named to the 2011 U.S. Sailing Development Team for Olympic prospects, and over the last year, he has traveled to Florida five or six times to practice and hone his skills.

With winning the Olympic gold medal as a major focus, the South Side senior is committed to continue working diligently and to make a name for himself in the water sport. When he travels south to practice with his fellow sailors, he endures exhausting workouts and sailing practices that have helped prepare him for his run at Olympic glory, which could come as soon as 2016 in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

“He sails all over,” his mother said. “Whether it’s at the Seawanhaka Club or competing in Scotland as he did last summer, there’s been a lot of traveling. But Ryan loves it.”

This fall, when Schmitz embarks on his college experience, he will travel north to Boston College, where he will continue his passion for sailing as a member of the school’s sailing team. Boston College was the only college he applied to, and his mother said he found out he had been accepted during one of his plane rides to Miami.

Schmitz said he’s looking forward to being part of the team. “BC is a great school. To be in the Olympics is a lofty goal, and hopefully this will help me inch closer. There’s still a lot more work to be done," he said.

To say that sailing runs in the family is an understatement. Schmitz’s grandfather sailed until he retired from the sport at the age of 91. His uncle, too, is a sailor.

But it seems that his father, Chris, has had the biggest influence on his endeavors to this point. Chris has sacrificed a great deal to make sure that his son has received all he support and care he needs.

Eventually, Schmitz will visit the Olympic Training Facility in Colorado Springs to continue his training. Until then, he plans to keep up the hard work and continue to train.

“I have high hopes,” he said. “And I’m sticking to my goal.”