Profile | From reluctant novice to Games gold medallist, Halliday’s journey a sea tale worth telling
National Games champion Nicholas Halliday was more a fan of sport on land than water when he first started sailing
Sailing was never Nicholas Halliday’s first love, with his mother the driving force that initially got him onto the sea and on Wednesday made him a National Games gold medallist.
The 26-year-old claimed the ILCA 7 title in the waters around the city of Shanwei, and then admitted it was on land that he felt most at home when he was a child.
“At that time, I didn’t think I really liked sailing,” he said. “I enjoyed the feeling on the rugby fields and basketball courts more.”
Halliday’s journey to the podium began around the age of eight or nine, when his mother Suzanna, a keen sailor, consistently enrolled him in training courses with the Hebe Dragons, where he shared a private coach with other youngsters.
Things changed quickly though. From a child who was not fond of going out onto the sea, Halliday’s love for the sport developed through the friendships he made and when he began to show his potential.
From being determined to be on the court, he would even turn down game invitations from his basketball coach, just so he could take part in the sailing team’s training at weekends.