Hannah Mills OBE stands as one of the most successful female Olympic Sailor in history. Mills is a two-time Olympic Champion and a three-time World Champion in the Women’s 470 class. Her journey to Olympic glory began with a silver medal in London 2012 alongside teammate Saskia Clark, the impressive pair went on to win gold in Rio 2016. Continuing her dominance, Mills went on to win another gold medal in Tokyo 2020, this time partnering with Eilidh McIntyre.
In 2021, Hannah made history by joining Sir Ben Ainslie’s SailGP Team as its first female sailor, contributing to the team’s success and spearheading the Women’s Pathway Programme within SailGP. Her impact extends beyond the water, as she passionately advocates for environmental sustainability. As an International Olympic Committee Sustainability Ambassador, she launched the Big Plastic Pledge in 2019 and co-founded Athletes of the World, a group dedicated to climate change advocacy.
Hannah launched the Athena Pathway Program alongside Sir Ben Ainslie in August 2022, with the aim of fast-tracking development in high-performance sailing and bringing diversity into the sport. With the first-time inclusion of a women’s event in the America’s Cup, there is a renewed emphasis on achieving gender equity and raising the sport’s profile for the younger generations. The Pathway is founded with sustainability at its core, with an ethos of ‘People, Planet and Purpose’ seeking to encourage athletes to use their voices in the fight against climate change.
