SAILING sensation James Foster has only just left university but he is already setting his sights on earning an Olympic berth following selection for a prestigious sporting programme.

The Poole mariner, a recent graduate of the University of Southampton, ended the 2023 National Championships as the ILCA7 national champion but harbours an even greater dream – to compete at Brisbane 2032.  

And with the rigours of university no longer an issue, Foster is poised to do exactly that, spurred on by the support of charity SportsAid.

He said: “Now I’ve finished, and the plan is to do a lot more sailing and qualify for the British Sailing squad next season. The plan is to do as many international events as I can.  

“Further on from that, I aim to be going to the Olympics in 2032.”

At 21, Foster is not yet long in the tooth but the Poole sailor, who competes in the ILCA7 class, already possesses a decade of experience at the till after being introduced to the sport by his father during childhood.

“I’ve been sailing since I was eight. I love how I’m the only person in the boat and I’m in charge of what goes on. If I have a bad race or a good race, it’s on me.

“I love the science behind sailing and I’m a very technical sailor. I really enjoy the physics behind sailing and the maths behind every decision you make.

Though confident in his own ability, one athlete Foster looks to for inspiration is Sir Ben Ainslie, with the 21-year-old especially keen to emulate the five-time Olympic medallist's composure amid troubled waters.

Foster revealed: “How he’s able to keep fighting until the very end, under the most amount of pressure. In the 2012 Olympic Games it wasn’t won until the last race and the ability to keep his cool and perform even better than normal under pressure is particularly inspiring.

“I think if everybody could do that, we’d all be Ben Ainslie.”

Foster is one of 50 athletes supported by a partnership between SportsAid and Pitching In, a multimillion-pound grassroots sport programme established by Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral.

SportsAid athletes like Foster are Great Britain's brightest sporting prospects.

They are nominated to SportsAid by the national governing bodies of more than 60 sports based on set criteria from each.  

The typical value of a SportsAid award is £1,000 with money generated through a combination of commercial partnerships, trust and charitable funds, and fundraising activities.

He added: “I was on the SportsAid programme about six years ago for the first time and I hadn’t been on it since until this time. It’s really helpful. It helped me get to Kiel Week this year and pay partially the cost of that event.

“The money really helped. Sailing is a very expensive sport. We’ve got to get our boat wherever the event is and pay the entry fee and for flights back and forth.

“Most events we need a new sail and they’re £500 so it’s very helpful to have with such an expensive sport.”  

Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, is proud to be championing the next generation of British sporting heroes by providing talented young athletes with financial support and personal development opportunities in partnership with SportsAid. Visit entaingroup.com to find out more.