2024 LMSS Sportsmanship Award Recipient: Martha Hughes

Martha has been part of our LMSS community for years on Race Teams, the Blake School Sailing Team, and most recently, a pram camp coach. Martha showed up to work early everyday and immediately came to the office to ask what she could help me with. Most of the time, Martha fixed problems before we even knew they were happening. Her proactivity, thoughtfulness, and contentiousness makes her an incredible employee and friend. If someone is in need, she will stop what she is doing to help them. She goes above and beyond for her sailors, fellow coaches, teammates, and directors. If there’s a kid not wanting to do the swim test, she’s in the water alongside them straight away to make them more comfortable. She hops in prams to sail with her kids frequently, and was a big champion of Team India when we did the Olympics weeks in July.

Here’s what other coaches had to say about Martha: “she is unfailingly positive,” “everyone enjoys her on the island,” and “she brings a great work ethic to the island.” I can safely say Martha is one of the hardest workers on the island, and everything she does is with kindness in her heart and a smile on her face.

As a racer on our Blake High School Sailing Team, Martha was a champion of introducing new teammates to the island, working her butt off everyday to get better, and helping out her coaches and teammates every day. Aside from high school racing, Martha races A Scows, E Scows, and M15s in Inland Lakes Yachting Association (ILYA) events. Fun fact: at age 16, Martha was the first ever female (and youngest ever!) skipper at A Scow Nationals. This month, Martha began her freshman year at Tulane University where she will be sailing.

We all remember our first and favorite coaches, and Martha will surely be one of them that our LMSS kids remember.

We are proud to call Martha a friend, employee, and racer at LMSS. Thank you, Martha, for all you do for LMSS, your sailors, teammates, and fellow coaches.