Penny Way

Helen E. "Penny" Wilson (née Way; born 3 April 1962) is a British former windsurfer, who won multiple Windsurfing World Championships events. She competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics coming 6th and the 1996 Summer Olympics coming 7th.

For the British Egyptologist, see Penelope Wilson.
Penny Way
Personal information
Born (1962-04-03) 3 April 1962
Bristol, England
ChildrenEmma Wilson
Sport
SportWindsurfing
Achievements and titles
World finals1986, 1990, 1991
Olympic finals1992, 1996

Career

Way's first competitive sailing event was in 1976 in Pagham, West Sussex.[1] In total, she won 14 national championships in the United Kingdom and Australia,[1] and was a European champion.[2]

In 1982, Way competed in and won the British men's qualification event for the 1984 Summer Olympics. She was unable to qualify for the Olympics as the Games only held men's windsurfing at the time.[1] She won the 1984 European Windsurfing Championships in Guernsey.[3] Way won the 1986 Windsurfing World Championships,[4][5] becoming the first English woman to do so.[6] She attended the 1988 Summer Olympics as a spectator.[2] In the 1990 season, she only lost one event,[1] and won the World Championships again.[4][5] She won five of the six races at the World Championships.[7] In 1991, she won her third World Championships,[4][5] and also came sixth at an event in Singapore despite suffering from flu whilst travelling to the event.[8]

Way competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics,[9] the first time that women's windsurfing had been an event at the Games.[1] She was selected for the Olympics without needing to attend the British qualification event,[10] and was considered a medal contender.[8][11] At the Games, she finished 6th.[9] Way won the British qualification event for the 1996 Summer Olympics. The event was finished after 10 of the scheduled 12 races as Way had won the event with two races to spare.[12] At the Games, she finished 7th.[9] Way retired from windsurfing in 1996.[5]

Personal life

Way was born in Bristol, England;[9] her birth name was Helen Wilson, but her brother called her Henny-Penny.[10] She grew up in Cornwall,[1] later lived in Nottingham,[12] and now lives in Christchurch, Dorset, where a road is named after her.[5] She married Rob Andrews, a Royal Yachting Association coach.[2][10] She later competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics under the surname Wilson.[9]

Way's daughter Emma Wilson is a sailor who won a bronze medal in the RS:X event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.[4] Her son Dan is also a sailor.[13]

References
  1. "Unknown Way the Route to Gold". The Daily Telegraph. 20 October 1990. p. 29. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. "Fastest thing on two legs". The Observer. 4 September 1988. p. 33. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Penny the lightweight, pitting her wits against wind and wave". The Daily Telegraph. 24 August 1985. p. 10. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Tokyo Olympics: Great Britain's Emma Wilson wins bronze in women's windsurfing". BBC Sport. 31 July 2021. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  5. "Penny Wilson". UK Windsurfing. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  6. "Penny Way clinches world title". The Daily Telegraph. 28 August 1986. p. 25. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Penny shows way". Evening Sentinel. 27 October 1990. p. 47. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Way ahead in board game". The Observer. 19 July 1992. p. 89. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Penny Way". Olympedia. Archived from the original on 27 June 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  10. "Penny Way:Boardsailer". The Independent. 25 July 1992. p. 55. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Norbury looks for medals". The Daily Telegraph. 5 June 1992. p. 34. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Penny's Way of the World". Nottingham Post. 15 September 1995. p. 49. Archived from the original on 25 April 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. Falkingham, Katie (22 May 2019). "Emma Wilson: GB windsurfer on following in two-time Olympian mother's footsteps". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 18 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
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