Richard Stearns is an American competitive sailor and Olympic and Pan American Games medalist.

In 1963, he won a gold medal

Gold medal

A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...

 along with Robert Halperin

Robert Halperin

Robert Sherman "Bob" Halperin , nicknamed "Buck", was an American competitive Star class sailor, and Olympic bronze medalist and Pan American Games gold medalist....

 at the Pan American Games

1963 Pan American Games

The 4th Pan American Games were held from April 20 to May 5, 1963 in São Paulo, Brazil.- Medal count :To sort this table by nation, total medal count, or any other column, click on the icon next to the column title.Note...

 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, sailing Ninotchka.

He also started the company Lands' End

Lands' End

Lands' End is a clothing retailer based in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, that specializes in casual clothing, luggage, and home furnishings. The majority of Lands' End's business is conducted through mail order and Internet sales, but the company also runs more than a dozen retail operations, primarily in...

, in the Spring of 1963, with Halperin, Halperin's close friend Gary Comer

Gary Comer

Gary Comer was the founder of mail order clothing retailer Lands' End.-Early life:Born on the South Side of Chicago in the Grand Crossing neighborhood, Comer graduated from the Paul Revere Elementary School in 1942 and Hyde Park High School in 1946. He became a copywriter at Young & Rubicam in...

, and two of Stearns' employees.

He won a silver medal in the Star class

Star (sailboat)

The International Star is a 6.9 m one-design racing keelboat for two people.The boat must weigh at least 671 kg with a maximum total sail area of 26.5 m . It is sloop-rigged, with a mainsail larger in proportional size than any other boat of its length...

 at the 1964 Summer Olympics

1964 Summer Olympics

The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...

 in Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, together with Lynn Williams

Lynn Williams (sailor)

Lynn Williams is an American competitive sailor and Olympic medalist. He won a silver medal in the Star class at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, together with Richard Stearns.-References:...

.