Born in Doncaster, England, Anna grew up taking part in many different activities, swimming, soccer, netball, ballet/dance, music – cello, and initially learned to sail with her parents on their boat. At the age of 12, she immigrated to the United States with her parents. She joined North Cape Yacht Club, La Salle MI, on Lake Erie, and soon established herself as one of the top skippers at the club and then the area, working through the Optimist, Club FJ, Club 420 and Laser (full rig) fleets. At the age of 14, she helmed for a team at the Rolex Women’s International Keelboat Regatta. (She is still the youngest helm on record at this regatta.)

Towards the end of her junior sailing she qualified, in full rig Laser, for the national Smythe Cup, quite an achievement, as she was the only girl. Anna had several offers from colleges asking her to run track and cross country for them, but she decided to follow her sailing goal, set back when she was 12/13; that was to bring home a medal from the Olympics.

Old Dominion University, Norfolk VA and Mitch Brindley provided the next 4 years of her sail training and development. At college, Anna brought back several national titles and struck up a professional coach/athlete relationship with Mitch, that extended well past Anna’s university years.

Anna competed in the US Olympic Trials in 2003 in the Europe dinghy, finishing 4th and opening many eyes to her future potential. The 2007 US Olympic Trials were more successful, as she qualified to represent the US in China at the Olympic Games in 2008. In a regatta that came down to the last 2 legs of the final race, Anna was triumphant, winning the gold, and bringing home the first US women’s Olympic Gold sailing medal in 20 years.