Pinellas County man going to the Olympics

Thursday, February 21, 2008

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Zach Railey will be competing in the summer Olympics in China.

A Pinellas County athlete will be competing in the Olympic games in China this summer.

Twenty-three-year-old Zach Railey beat out a number of competitors at the Olympic trials and will now represent the U.S. in Finn class sailing.

"It's been a goal ever since I was young, Railey said. "I started thinking about the Olympics when I was 12, 13 years old."

Railey began sailing at the Clearwater Yacht Club when he was 8 years old.

He took an interest in sailing after his family's dentist recommended it to his mother.

Now years later, he'll head to Beijing to represent the United States in Finn class sailing, a sport that is both mentally and physically grueling.

"You kind of go into a tunnel vision mode where you're just focused on your own boat and going fast and making sound decisions," Railey said.

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Railey spends 4 to 5 days on the water and 5 to 6 days a week in the gym, and he trains all over the world.

In August, he'll compete against Olympic competitors from 26 nations, but Railey is concentrating on one thing.

"I want to be on the podium, I want to win an olympic medal, I have no doubts about telling anybody that," he said.

Zach not only wants to bring home a medal, but he also wants to bring awareness to the sport of sailing.

"I would put myself and my dedication on the level of anyone else trying to go to the NFL or to the NBA," he said. "But sailing just doesn't have the famous or attractiveness in the United States that those kind of sports do."

Railey is the only one in his family with Olympic dreams. His younger sister Paige came close to making the Olympic team.

She is the first alternate for the women's Laser Radial sailing class.

As for Zach, he'll continue to train until China, knowing every minute of his training will pay off.

"Dreaming of going to the Olympics and walking into the Olympic stadium and being on the podium; it's all worth it -- even though it's really hard -- it's all worth it," he said.

Along with his intense training, Railey needs to raise $150,000 to cover his travel expenses and the shipment of his two boats to China.