Photo Credits: Marquise Pointer / Athletics Communications Student Intern

RYAN HAENN
Athletics Communications Student Assistant
 
Imagine coming all the way from the bustling city of Hong Kong, China, to the quaint Southern coastal city of Charleston, South Carolina. That's what brother and sister, Gerald and Marian Williams, did in order to continue their education and compete for the national champion College of Charleston sailing program.
 
The two siblings grew up only two years apart. Gerald, a senior majoring in business administration, started sailing at the age of eight. Before coming to The College, he was Hong Kong's national champion in the Laser 4.7, Laser Radial Youth and Laser Standard.
 
A couple of years later, his little sister, Marian, tagged along and also joined the varsity team at CofC. Marian is currently a sophomore majoring in arts management and enjoying every part of the journey.
 
"We've always been quite close," Gerald said. "At first, I was kind of skeptical and I wanted to experience college life independently. But, I realized once she got here, it wasn't a problem having her here at all."
 
Marian jokes that her big brother will call her at night and ask her questions like, 'Should I get a pizza?' Having her around has given both of them someone to lean on.
 
"Since Gerald is here, it's been a lot easier to adjust to college life away from home," she said. "It's like home away from home, so I haven't really felt it as much as he did. Whenever we are feeling homesick, we go to Fire (an Asian fusion restaurant located on King Street)."
 
College of Charleston Sailing has had a handful of brother-sister duos in the program's illustrious history. Most notably, All-Americans Alana and Russ O'Reilly, who competed and won national championship titles for the Cougars in the early to mid-2000s.
 
The Williams siblings look to continue in the O'Reilly's path. Both specialize in the Lasers (single-handed boats) and competed at the ICSA Men's and Women's Singlehanded National Championships in 2017. Gerald, then a junior, finished second at nationals, while Marian placed fifth in her collegiate debut.
 
"He (Gerald) has always been my teammate, even in Hong Kong," Marian said. "I've always been 'Gerald's little sister,' so having him as a teammate encourages me to be more than that and to push myself."
 
Finishing second at nationals was an accomplishment for Gerald, who had a difficult first year adjusting and sailing as a freshman in 2014. There was a learning curve of cultures as well as on the water. He remembers his first day did not go well at a regatta, because adjusting to the change in currents from Hong Kong to Charleston were drastically different. However, there weren't just changes in the sport, but also in the lifestyle.
 
"The biggest difference here is the pace of life," he said. "In Hong Kong, it's fast paced like in New York City. Whereas here in Charleston, it's much slower. When I first came here, it took a while getting used to it. There was an adjustment period of three weeks to a month, but the sailing team was so helpful. They are such a nice group of people and they really helped me get used to Charleston."
 
Head Coach Ward Cromwell has been coaching for 13th seasons at The College and has the highest praise for both student-athletes.
 
"Both Gerald and Marian are very mature and responsible kids for their age," Cromwell said. "They're outstanding communicators and they are extremely disciplined. Both are very timely and organized in all aspects of life."
 
Marian attributes that discipline to their parents, Christopher Williams and Marie-Nette Ngo.
 
"Our parents always gave us independence allowing us to figure out how we work best with our education," she said.
 
Meanwhile, Gerald attributes his discipline to his education growing up. Like Marian, he attended Kiangsu Chekiang College International School (KCCIS) in Hong Kong.
 
"The high school I went to had a graduating class of eight students," he said. "Because it was so small, I had a really close relationship with all of my teachers. They helped me ease into the balance of sailing and schoolwork by teaching me how to plan."
 
Everyday, Gerald has a regimented schedule which includes workouts, practice and schoolwork that he sticks to. He is currently training to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, but his main goal is to graduate from the College of Charleston in May.
 
"I am super grateful for the sailing program as well as the coaches for guiding me the last four years," he said. "They care so much about their sailors and really want us to succeed. I've never experienced a team quite like this one. They've really taken my sailing to the next level. It's been a special and rewarding experience, especially for the two of us."