JENSEN BEACH, Fla. — A Jensen Beach teenager is set to represent Team USA at the Sailing World Championship in France this weekend after years of competitive sailing that began at a summer camp in Pennsylvania.
Harper Aberman started sailing at age four at a four-week summer camp her grandparents enrolled her in.
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"They then decided to throw my cousin and me into summer camp, where they then did a four-week course, and my cousin hated it, and I fell in love with it, and I ended up going for eight weeks," Aberman said.
After her family moved to Jensen Beach, Aberman joined the green fleet program at the US Sailing Center of Martin County, where her competitive career took shape.
"That is where the sailing adventure took off for me," Aberman said.
Aberman describes herself as an adrenaline junkie, and says the sport's most challenging conditions are what draw her in.
"When it's windy, I've always struggled to stay upright and stay out of the water," Aberman said.
Despite her self-described modesty about her abilities, Aberman has won countless tournaments, placed in several national competitions, and is considered one of the biggest names in the youth sailing circuit.
The news that she would represent Team USA came during Spring Break.
"It was during Spring Break, I got the email. I started screaming, my parents started screaming, and we were like, 'This is not real. We're going to Europe this summer," Aberman said.
Aberman has spent the past few weeks training in Spain ahead of the competition. Racing is set to begin Monday.
"We plan on taking the waters Monday for racing, and it's just been a lot of recovery and a lot of time and effort out on the water, but it's definitely going to be worth it. Especially in the venue we're in," Aberman said.
