By George Zhang, Co-Director of Staff Development

High winds, roaring waves and occasional rain storms are just temporary obstacles for 2023 Conestoga alumnus Connor Demming as he cruises across the finish line at his regattas. Recently, he competed at the 2024 Olympic Sailing Trials in Miami for a spot on the United States Olympic Team for 2024.

Demming has been sailing ever since the age of 6 when his father, who also competed in sailing, introduced him to the sport. He said that the scenic nature of sailing and its high intensity are aspects of the sport that he loves.

“Usually, most sailing is done when the weather’s warm, which I like,” Demming said. “Some people don’t take (sailing) as being very athletic, but when it’s windy and you really have to use your body, that’s when it becomes very athletic.”

At Conestoga, Demming was the captain of the sailing team and won the All-State athlete award in 2023. He also competed individually and has sailed in Ireland, Portugal and Canada.

Now, he sails for the College of Charleston where he is pursuing a degree in business. With a busy training schedule, Demming notes that time management skills are crucial to successful as a student-athlete.

“We usually have practices on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and then we have regatta races on the weekends. Tuesdays and Thursdays are usually our biggest days since we have workouts at 7:45 a.m., and then we have practice around 2 that goes to 6,” Demming said. “I think managing your schoolwork with also being an athlete at the same time is crucial.”

Demming qualified for the Olympic trials through a resume pull — an alternate selection process based on applicants’ past achievements — as he was not able to participate in the qualifiers last summer. He submitted his application in January.

“We had a sailing get-together with all of our parents and all the sailors. It was during Parents Weekend, and I got this huge email from one of the Olympic committee members saying, ‘Congratulations, you have been accepted to compete at the trials,’” Demming said. “I was super happy. My parents were super happy, and it was a cool experience. I was so excited.”

The trials took place over an eight-day span from Feb. 15 to 24 in Miami. Demming was one of the youngest in the single-handed category, in which solo riders guide a small boat.

“The competition was crazy. I was one of the youngest people there. It was probably a range of people from 17 to 40 years old,” Demming said.

Although he came up short in the trials, Demming still remains motivated and hopes he can qualify for the USA Sailing team at the 2028 Trials. Until then, he looks to focus on improving his college sailing career and maintaining his skills to achieve victory next Olympic season.

“My goal is to give (the trials) another shot and see how that goes. But right now, it’s just really focusing on college sailing, and during the summer, I’ll be doing more of the Olympic class boat so I’m not rusty,” Demming said. “My dream is definitely to get to the Olympics.”

George Zhang can be reached at [email protected].