In the world of sailing, 17-year-old sensation Gavin Garabed is making a name for himself, from being a part of Team Manitoba, to participating in the Canada Summer Games.
Sailing has been something Garabed has done for years, going back to when he was just a kid. "My mom and dad say people sailing out on Pelican Lake, right where I live. They signed me up, and I've never turned back since, basically. I started when I was five. They signed me up every year, and I started racing in it, getting better, and I've enjoyed it."
Throughout his time in the sport, Garabed says he's enjoyed learning all the aspects of it. "It's been so fun. I'm gone all summer, up to Gimli, on Lake Winnipeg almost every weekend. Driving across Manitoba, even around Canada, it's been so much fun."
Preparing for a race has also become a fun part of everything for Garabed. "Basically, sail around the course, see how the wind is going that day, see who's out there, and just go."
Building relationships within the sailing community has been something the 17-year-old has cherished. "It's been so great," Garabed says with a smile. "There are a lot of cool people in it from across Canada and across the States. You learn a lot of new things from some very important people. At Canada Games, I got to meet some really cool people."
That Canada Games experience was something that Garabed won't soon forget. "I sail on Team Manitoba, we had qualifying to get into it through last summer and the start of this summer. I was good enough to quality and make it."
"It meant a lot," Garabed says about representing his province. "I thought it was pretty cool."
Though he enjoyed the experience, Garabed believes they could have done a little better overall, but is still proud of what they accomplished. "We didn't do the best, we got 7th place, but I look at it as we finished top 7 in all of Canada. I learned so much while I was there. There are so many good coaches from across Canada, with some of the best people in the world. It was so cool."
Looking into the future, sailing will be a part of Garabed's life. "I'll continue," he says with a grin. "I'll stay local for now, unless something changes. I'll stay in Manitoba and Canada."
On top of that, racing is what most likely will keep Garabed's interests, although he admits he's thought about doing a long sail. "I've thought about doing the around the world thing, but I think I may stick to racing, because I've done it for so long, and it's what I enjoy."
Through it all, his family supporting him has meant the world to the sailing sensation, and Garabed admits he wouldn't be where he is today without them. "It means so much, they're the main reason I'm into it. They help with the travel, and I couldn't do this without them, to be honest."
Going to the Canada Summer Games for sailing, Garabed jokes that as much as he loves being on the water, he was glad he could travel to the games by air. "My parents actually were the ones that took all the Team Manitoba boats out there, and I flew. I got to be on the plane. I'm so glad I took the plane, it was like a 16 or 24 hour ride, so the plane was a lot better."