Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who’s the sailor of them all?

Published 8:42pm on 12 Oct 2026

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who’s the sailor of them all?
Anna Withington!

Discussion with Anna Withington
by Carisa Bohus 

If you have ever attended a Fireside, we set a goal by writing with permanent ink on a mirror! Anna Withington, OWSA Member and Sept. Membership Meeting speaker was inspired to sail offshore!

What was on your mirror?
My goal was “sail offshore.”

What year did you state your goal?
I stated my goal in 2024.

When did you realize you made it!!?
Technically, I may have achieved the goal in January of 2025 when I went cruising in the Caribbean. But what I had in mind was sailing offshore in the Pacific Northwest. So it was really around the fall of 2025 I felt I’d made it - I did two deliveries from Port Angeles to Portland, one in September, one in November. The November one REALLY counted! There were squalls, I experienced my first round-up, and I even got to sail at night under the stars.

Then in 2026, I raced in the Pacific Northwest Offshore race, the Swiftsure race, and Race to Alaska. I practiced offshore, did another delivery back, crossed the Columbia River bar a bunch, and am just getting back from sailing in Vancouver, BC. Things got a little out of hand!

What would you tell yourself now, or advice to another, or a reflection?
The goal felt so far away when I named it, and now it’s a huge part of my life. Maybe our dreams are always so much closer than we realize. I think the thing that helped was just to sit down and think about my next goal, with intention. I remember writing it down and feeling like I wasn’t sure how to get there, but that I was sure I could. I think it was more a moment of a catalyst and setting direction than something I needed to have physically in-sight from day to day.

If you set a Fireside mirror goal and want to share your experience, please consider answering these questions and sending them to fireside@owsa.net