Together with his sailing teammate Hans-Peter Steinacher, Roman Hagara is Austria’s most successful summer sports athlete. He won the Olympic gold medal in Sydney in 2000 (Tornado Class) and defended his title in Athens four years later.  He is also one of Lucanus' first mentors. Read his story here.

I got into sailing by chance. My parents owned a motorhome on Lake Neusiedl, so the water was never far away. But at first, I was into windsurfing, not sailing. My brother and I would build our own boards, sit outside and wait for wind—for strong winds, that was the thrill. We were not good role models. We would even be surfing during a storm warning. Capsizing and flipping over, we did the most impossible stunts. This is how it started. And then suddenly, everything happened very quickly.

Two regatta sailors asked us if we wanted to join their crew. We thought, why not? We got a feel for the wind and the waves, and we were able to race quickly. We did it intuitively. When you compete in races at 60 kilometers per hour, with other boats all around you and you get to the buoys—that can be scary. But it was routine for us. We soon decided to get our own boat and start sailing professionally. By that time, we had already set ourselves the goal of participating in the Olympic Games and winning a medal.

''If you want to achieve something, you need to set a goal and make a plan. You have to be ready to sacrifice everything for this goal.''

Back then, we were newcomers and had no idea how competitive sports worked and what professional training looked like. That only changed when we started serving in the army. We switched to the Olympic boat class where we teamed up with an expert in sailing techniques. In 1988, we were the training partners for the team that had qualified for the Olympic Games. In 1992, we managed to qualify for the first time ourselves.

We lived in the Olympic Village, would sit in the cafeteria next to international greats and experience the whole spectacle up close. Because we had participated in World Cups, European and even World Championships over the years, we had been able to gain a lot of competition experience. But at the Olympic Games everything was bigger. You cannot prepare for this kind of pressure. It affects young athletes in particular; a factor that is easily underestimated.

''You have to learn to focus on the essentials. And you have to find out: What do I need to be successful.''

It took us years. Until then, the task was to find people who could help us on our way to the top. A sailing trainer, fitness coach, psychologist, physiologist, sailmaker, PR and media experts—we put together a whole bunch of people who became part of our team for years to come. You can’t do it by yourself; that is true both in sailing and business. Compare the captain with the managing director and the skipper, who is responsible for the boat and the crew, with the owner of the company. There also must be someone on the boat in charge of finances: the CFO. And the crew working in the background. They keep the business running smoothly.

''The athlete may be on display, but only the team can deliver success.''

For the Olympic Games in 1996, I decided to train with my brother again. We knew that we could only be successful together. If you want to sail at a high level, you need a partner who constantly challenges you. Many people see that differently and are afraid to reveal secrets in joint training and build up a potential opponent. I always thought that if you want to be the best, you have to beat everyone anyway.

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Hans-Peter Steinacher and I finally won the gold medal. We always got along well, even when we had competed against each other in previous years. As teammates, both of us found roles that played to our strengths: Hans-Peter’s business skills and my technical abilities. In the 20 years that we sailed together, I never once had to think about financial matters.

''If you want to be successful together, you have to know your strengths and weaknesses. And you have to trust each other blindly.''

Competition grew after our first Olympic victory. Everyone was looking up at us, wondering what we were doing differently, why we were so good. That was a huge motivation for me; competition is good for business. We were the first sailors to hire a sports psychologist, the first to work with a sailmaker who provided us with customized material. Innovation has always been an important part of our success. Copies are rarely as good as the original.

Despite all the success, we also faced some stormy weather. That’s part of it. But if you interpret the weather forecast correctly, if you make plans in advance, you take in the sail and weather the storm before it’s dangerous. And if that does not work, you should be well prepared anyway. Get the right clothes, life jackets, a helmet, ideally also a tender accompanying your boat. It is best to always have a safety net. Because one thing is clear: You can’t do anything without wind.

''I have always seen the storm as a partner. The better you can read the wind, the better you can use it tactically. Never go against the storm, let it carry you somewhere.''

Ultimately, focusing on one goal means a lot of hardship. I sacrificed so much for Olympic victory. I traveled a lot and spent very little time with my family. But everyone has to make their own decisions. Maybe I’m content with less than others. I don’t need three cars to feel good. If I can get out into nature, I’m already happy.