17-year-old from Essex, UK, voted Windsurfer of the Year
by Bec Hughes 13 Jan 2023 22:40 GMT
Charlie Dixon celebrates one of his iQfoil wins with brother Rory and dad Dan © Dixon family
A 17-year-old from Essex has been voted Windsurfer of the Year as he steps up his campaign for the Paris Olympics 2024. Charlie Dixon, from Maldon, had an incredible year, finishing 2022 youth national IQFoil Champion, iQFoil Youth European Champion, iQFoil International Games Gold Medallist, iQFoil World Champion and World Sailing Official Youth World Champion.
He was nominated alongside three other top athletes from different disciplines of windsurfing for the UKWA (UK Windsurfing Association) 2022 title and won the public vote.
Charlie, who windsurfs from Blackwater Sailing Club in Heybridge Basin, Maldon, said: "It has been an amazing year and I will remember it forever!
"It started off with me being not known on the windsurfing circuit - just a normal boy who had a love for windsurfing - and ended by being known as the boy who could not be beaten by anyone else in the world. I still think about it now and wonder how it all happened! Though now I need to re- focus, get my head down, train and push as hard as I possibly can towards Paris 2024 and let's see what happens."
After a month of voting Charlie - under the racing discipline - was announced as the clear winner of the UKWA 2022 Windsurfer of the year on Friday 6 January. The trophy will be presented to the former Plume Academy student in the next few weeks. He was nominated with Lucas Meldrum (wave), James Faley (slalom) and Jim Crossley (speed).
Bob Ingram, chairman of the UKWA, said: "Well done to all this year's worthy candidates and I am particularly pleased for Charlie as I am not aware of anyone in the UK having achieved this success across the board before and rounds off a fantastic year for him. Huge congratulations and I have no doubt we will the see the other nominees appearing on the list again in the future."
Charlie, who studies criminology at Colchester Institute, now has his sights set on the Paris Olympics 2024 and Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 and is training regularly with the British Sailing Team in Weymouth. Now a professional sailor supported by the RYA (Royal Yachting Association), his campaign this year will take him to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands; Palma de Mallorca; Hyeres, France; and the European Championships in Greece, before going to the World Championships in The Hague, Holland.
It is a meteoric rise for the teenager, who only took up windsurfing five years ago, learning with his dad Daniel Dixon, a builder in Maldon.
Dan said: "It's been an amazing year for Charlie with a succession of wins. Stepping up to the senior kit late last year going to the European championships saw Charlie get a solid overall result in Gold fleet and even won a slalom race! He is focusing hard this winter on training, gym work and weight gain to target weight for the new kit.
"He has an exciting year ahead of him with many international regattas and could become a serious contender for Paris 2024."
Sheena Berney, Vice Commodore of Blackwater Sailing Club, said: "Foiling is a spectacular sport and it's been brilliant to see Charlie out on the river progressing in the sport he clearly loves. He is dedicated to his training, regularly going out in windy and wet conditions throughout the year with his dad Dan and brother Rory.
"Charlie is a great ambassador for the sport, an inspiration to our cadets and adult members, and an example of what you can achieve with drive and determination. We are watching his progress closely and we're so proud of his latest title, which is thoroughly deserved."
Charlie is crowdfunding for his campaign and looking for a main title sponsor. More info at www.gofundme.com/f/my-olympic-campaign