Judo Athlete Oliver Everest
Location: Battle, East Sussex. Near Eastbourne
Oliver: “When I had the letter through to say I was going to the World Games I thought Wow! I’m actually going to China!”
Coach Paul: “When Oliver is on the mat he is totally focussed on the fight… it’s not over until the very last.”
Oliver is 14 years old. In just four years of playing judo he has become a gold medal winner, competing in Britain and across Europe. Oliver is not afraid to take on any opponent older, stronger or more experienced, even adult and mainstream competitors. He has a strong desire to win.
Oliver was starved of oxygen during his birth. This left him with learning disabilities, low spectrum autism and blindness in his right eye. Oliver’s blindness gives him an extra challenge in defending himself against his opponent’s moves from his right side. But he has learned to compensate with acute hearing and a keenly developed sense of what his opponent is about to do.
Oliver is fostered. He started judo in the first week he became part of Mick and Janet’s family. Before that he’d found it very difficult to take part in sport. The Everest’s son Paul is a judo coach and their other foster son 17 year old James already did judo. Oliver loved the sport from the start and quickly showed a real talent for it and determination to succeed. As soon as he started with Paul’s club he was talking about getting his licence to fight and taking part in competitions. His first competition was in Holland, accompanied by his mum and brother James. Since then he has competed in countries including Slovenia, Holland and Sweden. He was also part of the regional squad in the last two SOGB national games in Cardiff and most recently Glasgow.
In the run-up to competitions, Paul describes Oliver as ‘hyper’. He puts in a lot of mental and physical preparation. When Paul tells him about the next competition he talks about little else and is ready (often packed) weeks before, marking off the days on the calendar. Before Shanghai his competitions will include one at Crawley in June and another at Cardiff in July.
Paul says: “When Oliver is on the mat in a competition nothing puts him off his stride and concentration. He is totally focussed on the fight from beginning to end.”
Oliver never gives up. In one competition where he was the smallest in his class he was losing in two fights. He had to work very hard at staying calm. But he did, and fought back to win gold medals in both. Paul says Oliver has a ‘Never Say Die’ approach that is rare in many sports professionals. For him the fight’s not over until the very last. The fights he enjoys least are those he wins too easily.
Oliver says: “Before competitions I get quite nervous, but once I’ve had the first fight I’ve calmed down. It’s just the first fight. After that I’m fine. Team-mates support makes a lot of difference.”
Oliver trains three times a week and also often practices with James. He has recently started building his muscle strength for Shanghai with small weights. He says:
“I need to work on my arm strengths and my legs. I don’t think I’m very strong in my arms or legs at the moment. But I love training, all the hard work we do with the club.”
Oliver loves being part of a team and gives a lot of support and encouragement to others. Although he’s one of the youngest, Paul describes him as “like a second coach”. Is someone is hurt he’s the first to want to go to them. He takes the responsibility for the team on his shoulders and really feels defeat for others. He’ll put his arm round a team member and say “It’s just not your day today but you can beat them, your day will come, don’t be down.” He has a way about him that soon has a losing team member smiling and motivated again. His concern also extends to his opponents. When you hurt your opponent in judo you kneel to indicate a stop in play. But Oliver usually goes further and is also asking how the other player is and to see if he can do something.
Oliver is a ‘yellow belt’ but his ambition is to reach the top of his sport and to be awarded his black belt. But he says the theory exam is difficult for him and he’ll have to work very hard at that.
James was part of the judo group who went to Shanghai last year to try out the facilities in a special invitation event. The family hope to raise enough money for them all to go and support Oliver at the world games.
Apart from his passion for judo Oliver is part of the Sea Cadets Corps, as is his brother James. With the Cadets he has learned boating skills, kayaking, piping and shooting. They recently travelled to Belgium for a memorial service for soldiers killed in the world wars. He says it was very moving but standing still for hours in his uniform in the heat was tough.
Mum Janet says when Oliver first came into their family at the age of 9, he had been through a number of foster placements and he would hardly leave her side or Mick’s. She says he was very quiet and shy, now he’s more bubbly and outgoing. She describes him as in many ways still a ‘home boy’ but says the experience of travel and competition have really built up his confidence. He loves family holidays abroad and they often go caravanning at home. When the family returned from a holiday to Disneyland Oliver transferred at the airport straight onto a plane to Holland for a competition.
Oliver attends the Linfield School in Eastbourne, who are very supportive of his achievements. When he’s won medals or cups these are often celebrated in school assembly. He most enjoys English, maths, computer studies, music and art.
TO ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW WITH THE ATHLETES OR COACHES, PLEASE CONTACT THE SOGB NATIONAL OFFICE.
TELEPHONE: 020 7696 5569 OR EMAIL TO: pr@sogb.org.uk