Louisa Chafee returns to RI before competing in Olympics

February 24, 2016 6:41 pm

By Liz Tufts

ltufts@abc6.com

A well-known name is off to the Summer Olympics in Rio to represent the United States.

Louisa Chafee, daughter of former Governor Lincoln Chafee, is competing with the Olympic Sailing team. ABC6 News caught up with her while she’s back home before starting intense training.

24-year-old Chafee says she and her dad think a lot alike, but instead of coasting in politics like her dad, she took to the waters instead. Though, she didn’t get an itch for sailing until after high school.

"I got really sunburned and didn’t listen to my mom, so I didn’t do it until after I graduated," she explains.

Chafee sailed for Brown where she was a three-time All American. She never thought she’d make the Olympics when she started, but she and her partner, Bora Gulari, who only got matched up a month ago, qualified for the Olympic team in a Regatta in Clearwater, Florida.

The two will be competing at the summer games in the two-person mixed multi-hill event.

"It’s a dream come true," she says.

Her Olympic bid comes amid fears of the Zika virus outbreak. Olympic organizers are now stepping up their efforts to battle the spread of the virus to try and contain the mosquito-born outbreak ahead of the Rio games. Many athletes are dropping out because of it.

"I’m not going to worry about it. I’m focusing on winning a medal," says Chafee.

And while she’s aiming to make a name for herself without the help from her dad, she says she won’t say "no" to his advice.

"Our campaigns are a lot alike," she explains.

Chafee does most of her training in Newport. She’s heading to Miami next for more training before she’s off to Rio to start preparing for the summer Olympics.