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Caleb Evans' potential was recognised during his first sailing experience and it is now taking him to next week's inaugural Para Sailing International Championships on the Gold Coast.
The 17-year-old will be the only New Zealand sailor at the event, which is part of the Virtus Oceania Asia Games for elite athletes with an intellectual impairment. Hundreds of athletes from more than 25 nations will compete across the range of 11 sports and Evans will join others from this country as part of the official New Zealand Paralympics team.
Evans will compete in the II-1 class (singlehanded) and, significantly, it is the first championship sanctioned by World Sailing for this athlete group. World Sailing are looking to establish an international competition pathway for these athletes.
Evans has been diagnosed with ADHD and FASD (Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) and someone suggested five years ago he try sailing. He was hooked from the first outing with Sailability Tauranga.
"The guy that took him out said he was a natural and they asked him to join their race team that day," Caleb's father David Evans said. "He won the national doubles title with a companion sailor in his first nationals after just six months of sailing."
He's since progressed to sailing solo and competes primarily against para and blind sailors, finishing sixth at last year's Hansa 303 national championships. He was the only sailor with an intellectual disability in the singles - most compete in doubles due to their slower processing speeds.
If Evans isn't out training and racing in his Hansa 303, he can often be found crewing on an 11m keelboat for club racing and earlier this year competed in the Auckland to Tauranga race. He also enjoys sailing an ILCA at the Tauranga Yacht & Power Boat Club.
With this being Evans' first international regatta, he doesn't really know what to expect next week across the four days of racing.
"[I'm looking forward to] meeting new people and sailing for New Zealand," he said. "I love the challenge of getting the boat humming along and will sail the best I can."
David Evans will accompany Caleb to the Gold Coast later this week and knows it will be an exciting experience.
"We are proud of the young man that Caleb has become," he said. "He continues to grow, challenge himself and work hard to achieve his goals despite the very real-life challenges he faces."
