Building a Career in Professional Sailing | Rebecca Gmuer

Rebecca Gmeur grew up around the ocean in the Bay of Islands, where a love for sailing started early and steadily evolved into a career on the global stage.

In this episode, Rebecca shares how she turned that passion into a profession — beginning with a rigging apprenticeship in Auckland and building her career through hands-on experience, technical skill, and strong industry connections. What followed was a pathway that took her from local boatyards to some of the biggest international sailing events in the world.

Today, Rebecca is a professional sailor and rigger competing globally, and part of the history-making crew that completed the first all-female non-stop circumnavigation of the globe — finishing in just 57 days and breaking long-standing records.

She opens up about what it really takes to build a career in professional sailing: combining trade skills with athletic performance, navigating a fast-moving, relationship-driven industry, and managing the realities of freelance work across countries and teams.

Her biggest lessons? Build a skill set that makes you valuable. Stay adaptable. Back yourself in new environments. And understand that careers can be built in many different ways — especially in industries where experience and reputation matter.

For students interested in sport, travel, or hands-on career pathways, this conversation offers a real look into how passion, skill, and opportunity can come together on a global stage.

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