CYCA Members and Youth Sailing Academy Alumni, Olivia Price and Evie Haseldine, have their eyes on Olympic gold at Paris 2024.

In October 2021, Evie Haseldine approached Olivia Price looking for mentorship.

Olivia had no hesitation, but insisted on a hands-on approach.

“I said to Evie that in order to help her as best as I could, I needed to see her sailing,” Olivia recalls.

“I knew her as a person, but I didn’t really know her as a sailor.”

Olivia was already providing some guidance to the Australian Sailing Futures athletes, keeping her skills sharp with coaching and commentary roles since stepping away from competitive sailing a few years earlier.

There was no plan for the 2012 Olympic silver medallist to get back on the water in earnest, but that first sail with Evie just felt right.

As 19-year-old Evie remembers: “We both came off the boat without needing to say to each other that we clicked really well.”

Now, they’re going for gold. Over a chat and a coffee, Olivia and Evie made the call to campaign in the 49erFX class at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, conscious of the shortened Olympic cycle.

Despite the time pressures, it wasn’t a decision Olivia made lightly.

“I wouldn’t be the person I am today without taking that time away from the sport; I wouldn’t love it as much as I do,” she said.

“I’m really excited for the next two years. I don’t know if I remembered exactly what I was in for, but I’m ready for it regardless of what gets thrown at us. We have the skills and capability to work together as a team and we’re pretty clear about where we need to be.”

Though chance seems to have created this burgeoning partnership, the pair have long been intertwined.

They are family friends, who both grew up sailing with the CYCA’s Youth Sailing Academy and Drummoyne Sailing Club.

Indeed, Evie’s is a path well trodden by Olivia, who was just a year younger than Evie is now when she campaigned for London 2012.

“When I look at Evie, I’m immediately reminded of myself when I was 18,” Olivia said. “Her determination is something that I’m in awe of.

“She’s bursting with energy and does not stop, so it’s a good dynamic. There is a lot we both bring to the team and the reason it works for us is that we’re open to each other and not afraid to call each other out.

“It’s a credit to the support team and everyone around us that’s allowing us to make mistakes and learn.

“I think our relationship is going to be a benefit for us. The more you know your sailing partner, the more there is potential for success, because you can reset a little bit quicker, you can understand where the other person is coming from.”

The respect is certainly mutual. Evie has a distinct memory of seeing Olivia down at Drummoyne shortly after the London Games.

“She had come down to show us her Olympic medal and I remember thinking ‘wow, one day I want to do
that’,” Evie said.

“Throughout school, when you’re asked who your biggest inspiration is, most kids in Years 3 and 4 would say their parents, but mine was always Olivia Price.

“It’s exciting to have the expertise and experience of someone like Liv. Her mentality is so determined and so dedicated, which is similar to myself. To be able to share this experience and keep pushing each other is quite cool.”

After deciding to hit the start button on their Olympic campaign late last year, Olivia and Evie have had the throttle down all the way.

They completed their first two European regattas together in Spain and France, competing against some of the world’s best 49erFX teams while still settling into their new class.

In a sign of their dedication to get to Paris, the pair scratched their planned holiday in sunny Spain between regattas in favour of on-water training and race analysis.

“That period gave us a little more focus to try and execute some goals in Hyeres,” Olivia said. “It’s a great way to approach Olympic racing; there is so much you can do, but if you keep a narrow focus, especially while we’re trying to learn as a team and progress as quickly as possible, that’s the best way to approach it.

“You want to make every day count.”

Evie added: “That first trip to Palma was a big eye opener for me. It was something I’d dreamt of for years.

“But it doesn’t stop there. We know everyone is beatable and we have such a relationship that we both have that mentality that nothing is impossible.

“It was an eye opener, but it also added a bit of fuel to the fire.”

After a brief pit stop back home, Olivia and Evie returned to Europe for an extended competition block, which will see them tackle events in Denmark, Germany and France before the 2022 49erFX World Championship in Halifax, Canada.

We’ll be keeping a close eye on their path to Paris. Stay tuned!

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Article first published in Offshore.