Paris bound windsurfer Grae Morris didn’t always have his heart set on Sailing at the Olympics, nor did he consider competing for Australia.
Grae excelled in the sport, and was selected in top teams for his club and school, where he played in the first XV in his final year at Sydney’s Cranbrook School.
Whilst Grae was shining in Rugby, he was ultimately left with a tough decision; either pursue rugby at a professional level or follow in his father’s footsteps and chase his passion for windsurfing.
With Olympic gold the ultimate goal, Grae said he “chose a path that only rewards success.”
He became a full-time athlete in 2019 after competing in the inaugural wind foiling competition in New Zealand and placing sixth in a star-studded fleet.
Grae’s career received a further boost when as a 16 year old he was invited to train with the Dutch Olympic Team. This allowed him to travel to Europe to compete in multiple regattas and mix with some of the world’s best windsurfers.
Currently ranked fourth in the world in the iQFOiL men’s windsurfing, Grae finished the 2024 French Olympic Week with a silver medal, earning himself a spot on the Australian Olympic Team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Australia hasn’t sent a men’s windsurfer to an Olympic Games since 2004 - a fact which further concentrated Grae’s focus on securing a Paris berth and pursuing his Olympic dream in sailing.
The Olympic sailing is contested in Marseille from 28 July until 8 August. Men’s windsurfing races begin 28 July.
Go go Grae Morris!
Victoria Anderson
