WHEN young and highly talented Island sailor Arthur Farley was told he had a rare and life-threatening cancer, he chose not to let it scupper his Olympic dream — bravely taking it head on and, as has been a habit throughout his career, winning.
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Arthur, of Wootton, was tipped for a bright future in Laser sailing as a teenager — winning national and European titles, with a world accolade and a successful step up to senior level firmly in his sights.
The 20-year-old had climbed the UK's youth rankings to the pinnacle, then up to youth Olympic level, after he won the Europeans in 2022.
That looked like the turning point for Arthur's fortunes, where he got noticed by the British Sailing Team and he started to attract the kind of funding needed to progress.
But underlying it all, Arthur's health was gradually and very seriously deteriorating — blaming a continuous string of illnesses on the usual viruses and bugs.
For at least four years, Arthur was suffering with a rare and chronic type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow — hairy cell leukaemia — a disease which only affects a handful of under-35s in the UK each year.
Here's how you can support Arthur Farley to realise his Olympic dream
If you are a business, organisation or individual able to support Arthur's sailing career, nationally and internationally, email him: arthurfarley231@gmail.com
Hairy cell gradually worsens — and that was what was happening to Arthur and which almost claimed his life.
The first signs something was wrong was in the winter of 2021, when aged 16, while competing in the Senior European Championships in Bulgaria.
In his first senior event, Arthur was acutely sick, but determined to compete.
The following year, in the Princess Sophia Regatta in Majorca, Arthur was again, very ill, but again, took part.
Then, in the World U21s in Portugal, Arthur got worse.
"I couldn't breathe properly, couldn't sleep, couldn't eat or drink. It was horrendous," he explained.
"Before that, I did training races and was blitzing everyone. Everyone thought I'd win the worlds that year, at 18.
"I did OK, but from that point, through to February last year, I kept getting sick."
It was while Arthur was training in Portugal, the British Performance Team manager and his coaches knew something was seriously wrong with his health after a training session was stopped because he suffered acute heart pain.
Arthur went for medical tests and his illness was eventually diagnosed.
What followed was "pretty brutal" — particularly with bone marrow biopsies, life-threatening episodes of sepsis and Covid, not to mention his chemotherapy.
"Being told the diagnosis was really difficult. It was emotional."
In March last year, Arthur was immediately referred to Southampton General, for chemo, to the top of the waiting list due to his age and the disease's rarity.
Just when Arthur's situation seemingly could get no worse, he immediately caught Covid and was hospitalised.
"I spent ten days fighting for my life. I had virtually no protection in my blood from Covid. My blood cells were 90-95 per cent infiltrated and my chemo was due to start."
Chemo had to start for Arthur, regardless of his Covid, but thankfully for him, it 'left' him just before it was due to get underway.
The disease was caught as late as Arthur's condition would allow. Those were the fine margins he lived by.
Arthur's woes continued when he got sepsis twice precisely a year ago, which he described as being "touch and go" for him.
"It was a short period of not knowing whether I'd live or die.
"I was told I'd been lucky I had tests when I did. If I'd had sepsis when in Portugal, there was very little chance anyone could've saved me.
"That was probably the closest I got to death."
The chemo and immunotherapy Arthur received saw his unhealthy blood ratio gradually fall, until it reached zero detectability.
When he was told the great news in November last year, Arthur was far from excited about it
"I was so focused on sailing, I had no emotion left to give. I'd been dragged through too much of a rollercoaster."
Arthur's battles now are to maintain his regained health, to raise the £50,000 he needs to fund his sailing ambitions and to achieve the kind of success that will prepare him for a shot at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
His parents supported him for many years financially, remortgaging the family home to do so.
Arthur's next race ambition is to win the ILCA 7 World U21 Championships in Portugal this summer — his last crack at the age group.
"I live and breathe sailing. It would've been easy after cancer to jack it in, but it's all about doing the Olympics. That's the dream, the goal, the whole struggle over the years.
"If I don't get sick in the next two months, I'll win the worlds — I have no doubt about that."
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