SCHULL teenager Oliver Sugars is the only Cork sailor representing Ireland in the Topper World Championships this week – but a last-minute injury nearly ruled him out of contention.
The 14-year-old picked up a nasty gash at the nationals earlier this month when a fish hook got stuck in his arm, and he had to have it removed in the hospital emergency room.
Oliver had been placing fourth up until then and his first question after he was patched up was ‘can I go back out on the water tomorrow?’ He eventually placed tenth overall despite the mishap.
In fact, Oliver was so unfazed by the entire incident that he posted to his Instagram (@topperollie) and told his followers: ‘Just call me Captain Hook.’
It came as no surprise to his proud mother Aine how he dealt with the injury, since the water-mad teenager has had two near-death experiences in his short life.
He went into severe anaphylactic shock as a youngster and it took 12 syringes of epinephrine to bring him back on one occasion.
Aine told The Southern Star: ‘It was a cashew nut we later found out that triggered it. Within ten minutes [of eating it] he was vomiting with a rash from his feet all the way up his body, the whites of his eyes turning red.
‘In the hospital they took one look at him and grabbed him out of my arms. The paediatric consultant pointed to a tray of syringes and said ‘give him the lot’. He was crashing. A few weeks later they did tests and discovered there’s around 20 things he has a severe allergy to.’
It came as no surprise then that Aine was ‘freaking out’ when Oliver cut his arm because the medics could not give him certain painkillers due to his allergies.
‘There was no bother on him,’ she shrugged. ‘It’s the normal sort of thing growing up down here in West Cork, they’re a little bit tougher. He’s very hardy.’
Aine said Oliver and his three siblings, sisters aged ten, four and two, are typically out on the water as soon as St Patrick’s Day is over. But she is nonetheless impressed at the fact that he qualified for the world championships just a year after taking up dinghy sailing.
Oliver and his dad Roy, also a keen sailor, flew to The Netherlands on Monday and after registration, coaching and training days the racing proper will start next Monday July 21st.
The family set up an online fund and though it fell far short of the target, Aine insisted this would not hamper Oliver in his endeavours. She said: ‘It’s hard to raise any proper sponsorship which hindered us a bit. He needs a new life jacket, the one he has is a little small, but it will do. He also needs polarised sailing glasses but they’re too expensive.
‘Sailing is so expensive, but thankfully he got new hikers from CH Marine which is a great help.’
The fund has remained open as Oliver already has his sights set on the British Nationals in Largs, Scotland, in August. His dad Roy said the level of support would ‘determine one way or the other’ whether the 14-year-old can make it to the UK competition.
Even at a young age Oliver, who makes a three-hour round trip twice a week to train with the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Crosshaven, admits he wants to one day sail into the history books.
Days before flying out the 14-year-old told us: ‘I was nervous [about the Worlds] at the start but now I’m more excited than anything. This is just the start, my ultimate goal is going to the Olympics.’
And who is his inspiration? ‘I don’t really have one, I’d like to be the inspiration for others, maybe.’
To support Oliver search for help Oliver sail to the World Championships on gofundme.com.
