News release Paul Goodison honored.
Tuesday November 3 2009
Two world class sailors have been awarded honorary degrees from Solent University this week.
Former student and Olympic Gold medallist, Paul Goodison, received an Honorary Doctorate of Sport in recognition of his outstanding achievements in his chosen sport on Tuesday, November 3.
Paul is currently ranked as the world’s number one Laser sailor, an Olympic Gold Medallist, and World and European champion. He started sailing at the age of four and has enjoyed an outstanding string of successes since turning professional in 1996.
His first major triumph came in the 2000 Laser European Championships where he won Silver. In 2004 he represented his country in the Athens Olympic Games where he narrowly missed a Bronze Medal, and went on to win Gold in the Laser Class at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Paul – who graduated from Solent University with a BSc (Hons) Maritime Studies in 1999 – has been nominated for the ISAF World Sailor of the Year Award and will be travelling to Korea for the awards ceremony on 10 November. He is now working towards further success in London 2012.
He said: “I congratulate everyone graduating. I remember 10 years ago being in the same position before going out into the world. Southampton Solent University was a fantastic place to prepare me for what was to come. It was only really when I was stood on the podium in Beijing listening to the national anthem that I truly believed what I had achieved.”
Alex Thomson - another major international yachting name and holder of two world records - received an Honorary Doctorate of Sport on Monday 2 November.
At the age of 25 he became the youngest skipper to ever win a round the world yacht race, the 1998-99 clipper Race. In 2000 he won the Round Britain and Ireland Race in a record breaking time of 10 days, which still stands. He set a new 24 hour world speed sailing record for solo mono-hulls in 2003, which he broke again in 2007.
On receiving his award he said: “I am honoured to receive this Doctor of Sport and I have the greatest respect for all the graduates here today.” He went on to say, “If you enjoy what you do you will be motivated, if you are motivated you will achieve.”
Alex aims to become the first Briton to win the world’s toughest sailing challenge, the 26,000 mile non-stop Vendee Globe
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