Q & A with Jo Aleh

Growing up in ‘little old New Zealand’, 470 sailor Jo Aleh has managed some big results in her career so far.

The Kiwi sailor moved through the rankings in the Laser Radial to become World #1, at the same time teaming up with future team mate Polly Powrie to win the 420 Worlds, then switching her attention to the 470 to again boast a World #1 status. It didn’t stop there as Aleh and Powrie can count European Champions, World Champions, Sailing World Cup winners and Olympic gold medallists as just a few of there titles.

We caught up with Jo for a little Q&A.

Can you simply introduce yourself to everyone?
My name is Jo Aleh, 29 years old, currently sailing a 470 with Polly Powrie, aiming at Rio.

How and when did you start sailing?
I started sailing when I was about eleven. I don’t come from a sailing family, but after watching Team NZ win the 1995 America’s Cup on TV, something about it just made me want to sail, so that’s what I did!

How long have you been sailing with Polly?
I have been sailing with Polly for nearly eight years now, in the 470, however, we did sail together for a few months back in 2007 to do a 420 World Champs in New Zealand while I was still Laser Radial campaigning. We got on well there, and won the worlds with two days to spare.

How do you get on with each other, in and out of the boat?
We are team-mates, and friends, we have known each other since we were about twelve, and know each other so well now after so many years together. We see each other nearly every day, so it is a good thing we get on so well!

Can you explain your training regime for us?
Our training regime changes a lot depending on what part of the year it is, be it base training in New Zealand, regatta build-up overseas, or actual racing. At home we sail 4-5 days a week, 2-5 hours on the water, plus 3-9 sessions in the gym for Polly and cross training both of our fitness. We try to aim for one day off a week, as time fills up rather quickly.

Did you have any role models growing up?
I always looked up to Sir Peter Blake, as a truly outstanding sailor and general human being, as well as Barbara Kendall and Leslie Egnot as Olympic Medal winners for New Zealand, and general tough chicks.

Do you see yourself as a role model?
I don’t really think about myself as a role model too much, I just hope that I can inspire through doing what I do, and setting how I do things as an example for others. In the way my role models inspired me, I hope I can do the same for the younger generation of girls coming through, showing it is possible to take on the world and win, even coming all the way from little old New Zealand.

If you weren’t sailing what would you be doing?
I enjoy setting myself challenges, and then finding the best way to meet them, so really the options are endless.  Be it in other sports, or in the business world, I think there are plenty of things that I find rather interesting, and at some stage in the future I will hopefully get to find out exactly what they are!

What is your proudest moment in sailing?
It has to be standing on the podium in London, thinking back to when I was a little girl watching Barbara Kendall standing on her podium and knowing how that made me feel back then. That we had managed to achieve the result we had been aiming for after all these years of trying.

What is your worst moment in sailing?
It’s a little hard to figure out my worst moment in sailing, there have been many lows. In races, in regattas overall, ranging from a very awkward capsizes in a Europeans medal race, breaking my foot hanging out of a foot strap in a 49er, and the pain of stuffing up an Olympic Games, and sailing like a muppet in Beijing after four years of hard work to get there.

What did you learn from all the experiences?
Sailing for me is enjoyable, you take the highs and you deal with the lows. The best thing about everything that happens that seems terrible at the time, is that the worse it is, the more you have to learn from it. For me, failing to medal in Beijing in the Laser Radial, which I thought I was definitely capable of, was the start of the next campaign into London. Where I made sure the mistakes that I made going in to Beijing were not repeated. I credit this learning as a huge part of our success in London, so really the bad times are the start of the best.

What are your future ambitions?
Obviously my next thing is the Olympic Games in Rio in August where the plan is to sail as good a regatta as we can, and see what that gives us. Then I am not really sure, Tokyo 2020 is always an option, or else other options such as the Volvo Ocean Race, or stepping back from sport for a few years to find what else interests me! What ever I do next, I want to do it well!

What would you say to any young girls thinking about getting in to sailing?
I would say just give it a go! See if it is the sport for you, jump in an Opti, do a learn to sail course – that’s how I started. It all goes from there if you have the passion and the commitment to see it through. 

Anything last comments you would like to share about sailing?
Sailing is an amazing sport, a sport for life, something you can do at any age, in any country, you can make amazing lifelong friends, learn such useful skills, and have so much fun along the way.  You have to be tough, you have to be able to push through, especially as women in a sport that is still rather male dominated, it’s a great challenge and you will be all the better off for it!

Aleh and Powrie will be hoping to repeat their Olympic triumph in the waters of Rio De Janeiro this coming summer, and you can be sure World Sailing will be there with all the news.

With International Women’s Day on the 8 March, World Sailing will be focussing on women in sailing with a group of features showcasing just a few of the achievements and personalities we have in our sport.