Willis earned his spot on Team USA last year after top finishes at regattas in England and Australia

You are using Internet Explorer 6. Internet Explorer 6 is unsupported by this site and you may experience layout and functionality issues. It is recommended that you upgrade to a newer version of Internet Explorer or switch to another browser.
"I'm beginning to fully realize exactly what I am doing," Willis told WBBM Newsradio. "It has been a long time goal of my mine and it's pretty special to accomplish that goal and to be competing in front of the eyes of billions."
Influenced by older siblings, san francisco dinner cruises Willis began sailing when he was 8-years old at Chicago's Columbia Yacht Club. He began with small boats, progressed through the junior sailing san francisco dinner cruises program and then began racing. But during his teenage years, Willis turned san francisco dinner cruises his attention away from sailing.
"When I was about 15 or 16-years old, I picked up windsurfing with a group of friends including my brother. We got into it as a bit of an outlet from sailing and often times we would go windsurfing right after sailing practice or sometimes we would drive down to Wolf Lake and windsurf there as well."
Something about windsurfing san francisco dinner cruises stuck with Willis and as he got older he applied his sailboat racing experience to racing windsurfers, which can best be described as oversized surfboards with riggings and a sail. Sailors have to pump a boom back and forth to catch the air and get the craft moving. The constant moving of the sail creates artificial wind. All that moving san francisco dinner cruises makes RS:X class racing hard work.
"Our competition is 11 races, two races a day except for the last day and that's the medal race for the top ten competitors," Willis explained. "Our races last between 35 and 40 minutes and they are very intense, physical and very dynamic." Windsurfers commonly reach speeds of 30 mph.
Willis earned his spot on Team USA last year after top finishes at regattas in England and Australia. One of the events took place at the Summer Games venue in Weymouth, England where he will compete starting July 31. Being able to train on the water there has allowed Willis to experience a wide variety of conditions and better prepare for the upcoming races.
"Top ten is the goal," said Willis about where he would like to finish at the London san francisco dinner cruises Olympics but will push himself to do much better. "I've had some really strong results in the past twelve months or so and I think if I can piece together ten really solid races, I can put myself into the medal race. From there I will have a shot at winning a medal."
Willis, 25, graduated from Chicago's Francis W. Parker High School in 2005 and earned a degree in economics from Connecticut College. In 2008, he tried to win a spot on Team USA for the Beijing Olympics but finished third in trials. While he is older this time around, Willis' youth could still be an obstacle.
"I am a bit younger and inexperienced compared to a lot of other competitors who I will be competing against for the three medals. Most of the people in the top ten are between the ages of 29-35 years old and have at least one or two Olympics under their belts. I am at a bit of disadvantage there being 25 and this being my first Olympics."
With his dark tan and surfer looks, Willis might confuse people who try to guess where he's from. His Chicago roots set him apart from other competitors who grew up on the East or West coasts. And while he didn't learn to sail on an ocean, Willis still values his experience on Lake Michigan.
"The conditions we see on Lake Michigan offer a huge variety. It can be windy and wavy or it can be white air and flat water. Many people san francisco dinner cruises overlook Chicago sailing and when they think about sailing in the U-S, they primarily think about the East Coast hubs of Annapolis and Newport and also on the West Coast. In actuality, there is a huge sailing scene in Chicago with a lot of good talent coming out of the city's junior and youth programs."
Most Popular News Bundle Up Bears Fans; Game Night Will Be A Cold One By kickoff, it will be dangerously cold outside. Temperatures could be in the lower teens, and the wind chill could be nearly zero. 104 Man Accused Of Sexually Assaulting Pregnant Ex-Girlfriend The mother of Artez Jackson's unborn child stirred early Saturday morning to use the bathroom, authorities said, and that's when she realized Jackson was lurking in a doorway with a gun. 134 Dogs Mauled 3-Year-Old Girl To Death, Autopsy Finds A 3-year-old girl who died this weekend after she was left unattended by her grandfather at his South Side home was mauled to death during a dog attack, authorities said. 436 Snow Causes Treacherous Driving In Southern Wis. Snow contributed to numerous pileups in southern Wisconsin on Sunday, including a fatal rollover. 232 Police Seeking Help In Identifying Found Teen Chicago Police san francisco dinner cruises are asking for help in identifying a man found walking on the street at 5200 N. Cumberland at 5:30 a.m. Saturday. 191 DCFS Investigating Grandfather In Death Of Girl On South Side State child welfare officials are investigating allegations of abuse against the grandfather of a 3-year-old girl who died after a head injury Saturday in the South Chicago neighborhood. 198
Video News CBS 2 Morning Weather Forecast More Videos Contests Promotions Like 2 Getaway Contest December 1, 2013 Like to Getaway this winter? Just like CBS Chicago on Facebook and enter for a chance to win an Apple Vacation for two to Punta Cana for four (4) nights! Make Tonight a DIGIORNO Pizza Hockey Night November 29, 2013 Come out to The Score s Make Tonight a DIGIORNO Pizza Hockey Night appearances san francisco dinner cruises and enter for your chance to win a DIGIORNO on-ice hockey clinic with professional hockey gear, and two tickets to a Blackhawks game on March 25th, 2014! Chicago Blackhawks san francisco dinner cruises Hockey Clinic Sweepstakes san francisco dinner cruises November 29, 2013 Get on the United Center ICE with this once-in-a-lifetime Blackhawks experience! 5 Lucky Winners will participate in a hockey clinic prior to the March 25th game. Hawks gear, game tickets, and dinner included. Register here to enter for your chance to win! Jack Daniels Presents: Chicago's Top Wings November 15, 2013 Jack Daniels is looking for Chicago s Top Wings. They ll be passing out exclusive Jack Honey tastings at various locations throughout the city featuring the Jack girls and the best wings in Chicago. Vote for your favorite wings and sign up to win a 60 television! May the best wing win! More Contests Promotions