Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2014 | Page 12

INTERVIEW
Ross has learned to handle the pressure that comes with
his sport at the highest level, but reckons: “When I was
young, it was just a way to have fun. I was very fortunate.
I was probably one of the best for my age in the country
so I had no real problems about getting good results. I just
wanted to have fun and go windsurfing, travel around
and meet people.
“When you start to realise you have to decide if it is
feasibly something you can make a living out of, then a
little bit of pressure comes onto you because I had to rely
on my parents until I was about 20 to support me and
help me get to events and train in the winter. Without
them I simply wouldn’t have been able to do it.
“When I was in my 20s I just wanted to get away from
the Island but when I was away and seeing the world, I
remembered that I still had good friends on the Island
that hadn’t left. In the end I was drawn back here because
I have such good memories growing up here. It’s chilled
out, it’s safe, it’s a good place to bring up a family. I know
the job potential on the Island isn’t amazing but you can
have a nice standard of living if money isn’t the be all and
end all.”
Ross knows that if he had really put his mind to it,
he might have been selected to compete for Britain at
previous Olympic Games. But he said: “That is all about
physical fitness and you have to have talent. I trained for
it when I was about 15 and 16 but it wasn’t what I was

12

www.visitilife.com