As Stanford's student-athletes have departed campus for home, it's time to get to know the members of the sailing team. Today's edition features Laurel Foster.
How did you get your start with sailing?
I started sailing when I was six when my parents joined a yacht club in our area. I did the summer program each year until I was 17 years old.
Why did you choose Stanford?
When I was going through the recruiting process, I thought I wanted to end up on the east coast. Ultimately, the coach ended up giving me an unexpected call very close to the deadline and I realized Stanford was an opportunity I could not pass up. Staying in California with its beautiful weather and the opportunities for training and education Stanford provides has been the best decision I've ever made.
Favorite memory from the team?
My favorite memory from the team was fall PCC's in Santa Barbara my freshman year. The team drove down early Friday morning and stopped in San Luis Obispo to eat breakfast burritos and surf. I remember it being a definitive point for me to bond with some of the upperclassmen and helped me establish who I was on the team. I learned so much about how to be a good teammate and competitor that weekend.
Favorite non-sailing Stanford team(s) to go watch?
My favorite teams to watch are women's volleyball and football.
Tell us about your virtual classes this semester/take me through a typical day for you under the current constraints.
Since virtual classes have started, I get up at 7 and make myself coffee to drink while I finish up whatever work I did not get done the day before. I spend most of the day in class on Zoom, and when I have breaks I either tan in my backyard, lift in my makeshift garage gym, or run around my neighborhood. I stick to my schedule as much as I can to make sure I do not go crazy.
How has your Stanford experience helped you manage the COVID-19 outbreak?
Having the sailing team as part of my Stanford experience has definitely helped me manage the current situation. I am used to working with a degree of uncertainty based on the way teams get decided for regattas. I work really hard to be in control of everything that I can, and I am able to work really well even with many unknown variables. When you're sailing, you don't have control of the wind or the currents, but you do have control of everything in your boat. Right now, my academics are in my boat and I have been taking lots of classes to make sure I stay busy and am contributing to my future. It is also really helpful to have the team both as a community and as a group to which I am held accountable, especially for consistently working out.