Who has been the most influential person in your sailing career and why?
Amanda Clark: My Father, Dennis, because he loves to sail.
Sarah Lihan: My parents, first and foremost, have been both my greatest cheerleaders and harshest critics, both of which are vital to any campaign.  They’ve buoyed me up when I was down, but will never shy from expressing their opinions on my campaign decisions.  Anna Tunnicliffe, as well, has been a huge influence on defining what campaigning really means, and what a solid program should look like.  Also my college coach, Zack Leonard, is always there to screw my head back on and has deftly fielded even the most absurd of questions.  In recent years, US Sailing has really stepped up their involvement in personal campaigns, which has also been quite helpful.  At the end of the day, though, it is my competitors and friends that that help and motivate me to keep pushing, pushing, pushing, because if I’m not, they are, and they’ll gain the edge.