The biggest challenge for me while sailing, with eating enough, is that I suffer from sea sickness which is first of all a bit of a problem in that I wear a patch with some medication to suppress the sea sickness. But it actually makes me stop being hungry and I have no appetite, which means you have to force yourself to eat.
And physically making food on a boat at sea is really hard work because the boat’s bouncing around. Even boiling a kettle is a massive struggle. So, I ate a lot of that sachet tuna with sweet chilli sauce or a lot of instant food with Ryvita and a lot of jelly pots, cereal bars, dried fruit and nuts – just because it was easy and instant and quick. I’m such a sweet tooth person but when I’m sailing I never crave sweet foods, I always want savoury stuff, it’s really strange."
What got you into sailing and when did you start the sport?
“I was 15 when I started which for sailing is old to start – most people get into sailing because their family does it or one of their family members is really into it. None of my family sail, I’m the only one. But to start off from scratch at 15 is quite old.
It was my best friend at school – her family got me into sailing. One summer when I was 15, she said to me ‘my family’s really into sailing and we go and do this big regatta called Cowes week – why don’t you come along?’ and I had no idea what it was or what it was going to be like and I went along and had one of the best weeks of my life.
I had an amazing week, but I was useless. I got in the way and I didn’t do the right things and all the boys kept on shouting at me because I pulled the wrong rope. I was just determined to come back the following year and not be useless – I was only slightly less useless the following year!”
Do you enjoy commentating on sailing events?
"I predominantly commentate and talk about sailing but I do, do other sports as well. The sports that I really love, and love talking about, is the sports where people have to dig really seriously deep over extended periods of time. I would much rather commentate on a marathon than the 100 meters because I can relate to it so much better."
You must be on the go all the time, but what do you do to relax when you get some downtime to yourself?
“For me it’s fitness and sports. Because I travel so much, having any kind of routine is very very difficult and being able to stay fit is actually quite challenging when you’re on the go all over the place. I love cycling, I absolutely love cycling but I love yoga and Pilates and just any kind of fitness really. When I’m at home I love going to group exercise classes, for me it ticks the social box as well as ticking the fitness box.
I live in London now, but any sort of chance I get, I head down to New Forest, which is where I hail from and get on my bike and go for a good ride.”
Where would you recommend for sailing enthusiasts?
“The archipelago in Sweden is amazing – I love sailing in Scandinavia. I mean the archipelago in Stockholm too, there are 32000 islands most of which people have never been on to and certainly nobody lives there and to go sailing there in the summer, anchor up on an island, have a barbecue and catch some fish, for me it’s one of the most amazing things. However, it’s a nightmare because navigation is a disaster out there – there are lots and lots of rocks. But it’s quite an unusual place to go sailing; a lot of people go to Greece and turkey.
And also the other place that I absolutely love in the world is the Azores Islands which are in the middle of the Atlantic. They’re volcanic islands right in the middle of the Gulf Stream and the sea life there is like nothing else on this planet; I’ve never seen so many dolphins and whales and the coast line is spectacular – it’s all dark black rock and it’s just an unbelievable place.”
Tell us more about the new health campaign you’re working on?
"I’m working with wonga.com and between us we’ve created the wonga challenge which is an initiative to aim to inspire 100,000 people in the UK to undertake a personal challenge. It is all about being active and healthy, it may be walking to work one day, it may be parking in the spot furthest away from the supermarket door and walking a little bit further to do your shopping or it could be taking the stairs and not the escalator.
It’s just about making small changes in your life or it could be running your first marathon, everyone has their own personal limits and benchmarks and this is just about pushing people out of their comfort zones and making themselves slightly healthier, slightly happier and slightly more active. And also giving them a sense of achievement."
What’s next for you?
"I’m still continuing my other sports broadcasting and we have the extreme sail series and the next event for that is the first weekend in September in Cardiff which is really really going to be super cool – that’s windsurfing and sailing.
And really it’s all full on trying to get the people of this country doing a little bit more activity."
Learn more about Hannah at www.hannah-white.com and follow Hannah on twitter @hannahwhiteuk
FemaleFirst @FemaleFirst_UK
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