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Sarah Ayton facts for kids

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Sarah Ayton
OBE
Personal information
Born (1980-04-09) 9 April 1980 (age 45)
Ashford, Surrey, England
Medal record
Sailing
Representing  Great Britain
Olympic Games
Gold 2004 Athens Yngling class
Gold 2008 Beijing Yngling class
World Championships
Gold 2007 Cascais Yngling
Gold 2008 Miami Yngling
European Championships
Gold 2008 Blanes Yngling

Sarah Ayton is a famous English sailor who won two gold medals at the Olympic Games! She is known for her amazing skills in the Yngling sailing class. Sarah was born on April 9, 1980, in Ashford, Surrey, England. She has achieved some of the highest honors in sailing and is a true inspiration.

Sarah Ayton: Olympic Sailing Champion

Sarah Ayton, whose full name is Sarah Lianne Ayton, was born on April 9, 1980, in Ashford, Surrey, England. She became a professional sailor and is now retired from competitive racing. Sarah is celebrated for her incredible achievements in the sport.

Olympic Gold Medals

Sarah Ayton won her first Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. She competed in the Yngling sailing class. Her teammates for this victory were Shirley Robertson and Sarah Webb.

Four years later, Sarah won another gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Again, she competed in the Yngling sailing class. This time, her teammates were Pippa Wilson and Sarah Webb. Winning two Olympic gold medals is a fantastic achievement!

Life After Competitive Sailing

Sarah decided to retire from competitive sailing in 2011. She explained that it was hard to balance her demanding sailing career with being a mother.

In 2015, Sarah Ayton received a very special award. She was named the Female World Sailor of the Year Awards winner. This is the highest award a sailor can get for their amazing achievements in sailing.

Sarah has also been recognized by the British government for her contributions. She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2005. Later, in 2009, she was promoted to Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). These honors are given to people who have done great things for their country.

Sarah has two sons, Thomas-Flynn, born in 2009, and Oscar-Flynn George, born in 2012. She married Ashley Harris in February 2022.

Helping Others

Sarah Ayton is a patron for Meningitis UK, a charity that helps people affected by meningitis. This cause is very important to her because she herself battled meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia in 1995, when she was 14 years old. Her experience inspired her to help others.

In 2015, Sarah visited the Bosham sailing club. She was there to present prizes at their racing awards ceremony, sharing her experience and inspiring young sailors. Even though she is retired from competitive sailing, Sarah still loves sports. She enjoys amateur horse racing in her free time.

External links

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See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Sarah Ayton para niños

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