From Orton to Beijing: Nick's got an Olympic medal in his grasp
Louis Smith has deservedly been dominating the headlines as a Peterborough boy done good. But let's not forget another sporting hero – windsurfer Nick Dempsey, who is a serious contender for a medal in the Olympics, and learned his sport at none other than Ferry Meadows.
Louis Smith has deservedly been dominating the headlines as a Peterborough boy done good. But let's not forget another sporting hero – windsurfer Nick Dempsey, who is a serious contender for a medal in the Olympics, and learned his sport at none other than Ferry Meadows.Hannah Gray finds out more.
NEXT time you walk along the banks of the lake at Ferry Meadows, or settle down to a picnic on the shore, take a close look at the many sailors and windsurfers making use of the facilities – you never know which of those could be a future star.
Because just over two decades ago, a youngster named Nick Dempsey was on that very lake learning a sport which would take him all over the world, and earn him a bronze medal at the Athens Olympics and, hopefully, another medal in Beijing.
Dempsey currently sits in second place in the men's R:SX windsurfing, just three points off the leader.
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Nick is inspiring by his fiance and fellow Olympian Sarah Ayton, who won gold at the weekend in the Yngling sailing.
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According to Nick's brother, Paul, who lives in Orton Southgate, Peterborough, the boys' father, Mike, first brought a windsurfing board for a family holiday to the South of France.
Paul (33), Nick (28) and their elder brother, Mark (34), all had a go, but it was Nick who showed the natural flair.
Paul said: "From an early age he just jumped on a board and was off. With his racing career, it was pretty much the same as well. He was good at reading the weather conditions, he's a natural sailor."
Barry Easom, who is the proprietor of the waters sports centre at Ferry Meadows, can remember a young Nick spending hours on the lake in the mid '90s.
He said: "He was very good. At that time there were three or four local lads who went to compete in European competitions, of which Nick was the youngest."
Former Orton Longueville pupil Nick had boundless enthusiasm to match his growing talent.
"Definitely wind surfing was his one passion," Barry said. "He'd be down every time the wind blew and he wasn't at school."
But while he was definitely a natural on the windsurfing board, it wasn't always plain sailing for Nick.
In 2004, just before he headed off to the Olympic games in Athens, he spoke to The ET about his early years, and revealed that he capsized several times and the rescue boat had to be called out to save him.
He said: "I think the men in the rescue boat used to get fed up having to keep coming out and dragging me back in.
"They would tell me the conditions weren't safe for me and that I should stay on land, but as soon as they had turned their backs I would be straight back out on the water."
As well as being talented, Barry Easom remembers Nick as being quiet, and a "nice lad" and it seems that has not changed, even after his Olympic glory in 2004.
Barry said: "We've seen him once since the last Olympics. He was level-headed, still a nice guy."
Just because they've managed to produce one windsurfing star, the chaps at Ferry Meadows are not resting on their laurels.
The watersports centre runs a junior windsurfing club for the next generation of Nick Dempseys, called Team 15, and two-day courses for both adults and children, as well as an adults improvers' club.
Barry said: "We've probably got 10 or 15 kids that are regularly turning up to race and we're looking to expand that next season.
There's some kids there that are of a quite a high standard.
"The more they have a go, the more we've got a chance of finding someone."
The lake at Ferry Meadows is 75 acres in area and five metres at the deepest point.
Barry said it is ideal for learning to windsurf.
"It's not big and intimidating. We can keep an eye on people," he said.
After Nick's triumph at the Athens games, there was a flood of interest in windsurfing at Ferry Meadows, and Barry said he is anticipating this will happen again if Nick is a winner in Beijing.
Meanwhile, his already stellar career is proving to be an inspiration for young Peterborough windsurfers.
"The kids pick up on the magazines and who's in them and these guys are their heroes," Barry said.Windsurfer Nick Dempsey needs to match his missus
Nick's parents Mike and Olivia have flown out to China for the Olympics but won't necessarily be seeing much of him.
His brother Paul (33), who is holding the fort at the family business, SMW Autoblok, in Woodston, Peterborough, said:"I think my parents have only spoken to him for about five minutes, and that was on his birthday last week. He tends to not want to speak to anyone until it's over and done with."
Paul said Nick was in good form before he headed off to the games.
"I think he was pretty confident. He was seriously thinking about coming back with a medal. He was more prepared than he ever has been. At that level a lot of it is mental," he said.
Meanwhile, Paul and the rest of Nick's family back here in England are trying to keep up to date with all the developments – which is not always easy, given the time difference.
Paul said: "I'm spending a lot of time on the internet, and of course there's all the Google alerts. I'd like to be there, but, unfortunately, working for my parents means it's quite hard to get all three of us out of the country at the same time."
Paul said the BBC coverage has been good, and he is finding that with modern technology, even though he is thousands of miles away, he can almost feel as though he is there at the water's edge.
"It's quite easy to see what's going on. They even give you mark by mark so as he's racing you can see what time he went past the mark," he said.
Paul revealed that it is not just the glory of Olympic gold that is inspiring Nick, as he and his fiance and fellow Olympian Sarah Ayton seem to have a – possibly not all that serious – arrangement in place regarding their wedding in October.
Sarah won gold at the weekend in the Yngling sailing, and the pressure is now on Nick to bring home a medal.
Paul said: "I think they've got an agreement that whoever comes back with the gold, the other one has to change their name after the wedding.
"He doesn't want to come back Mr Ayton."
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Weather for Peterborough
Friday 19 March 2010
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