Video: Ingham & Volvo Ocean Race Academy

Bermudian sailor Mustafa Ingham passed all of the qualifications during his time with the Volvo Ocean Race Academy, and he is now fully qualified to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race.

In highlighting his accomplishments, the BTA’s Pat Phillip-Fairn said, “There are few things more rewarding than watching a young man live out his dream.

“In the case of Mustafa Ingham, his dream-come-true is not a result of luck or happenstance, it’s a result of hard work and determination.

“In September of last year, along with XL Catlin, the Bermuda Tourism Authority agreed to sponsor Mustafa’s enrolment in the Volvo Ocean Race Academy,” she said.

The BTA confirmed that about $96,000 is committed over the yearlong Volvo Ocean Race Campaign, the majority of which are costs related to Mustafa Ingham in the Volvo Ocean Race Academy.

Ms Phillip-Fairn continued, “At that time, Mustafa had just wrapped-up with Team BDA for the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup. Those races took place right here in Bermuda, as you know.

“The whole country was cheering for those young men and women as they carried the pride of their country. Certainly, Mustafa did not want the end of the 35th America’s Cup to be the end of his sailing career. Neither did we.

“Following the America’s Cup, for weeks, Mustafa committed to finding himself a place in the world-renown Volvo Ocean Race. Emails, phone calls – he did whatever it took.

“Mustafa would not take ‘no’ for an answer. And it’s that determination that made Mustafa the first-ever enrolee at the Volvo Ocean Race Academy. Simultaneously, we brought Mustafa into our Bermuda Tourism Authority family as a sports tourism ambassador.

“Over the past nine months, Mustafa has literally crossed the globe – Asia and Australia, Brazil and Europe. He has learned the technical aspects of the business on the shore team and talked sailing with some of the best sailors on the planet. He has represented Bermuda well.

“But before Mustafa could even be considered to sail in the elite Volvo Ocean Race, he had a long list of qualifications to acquire.

“In fact, there were so many exams to pass, the organisers told us many times we should not expect Mustafa to gain all the qualifications he needs by the end of the year-long Volvo campaign. And because of that, his odds of sailing in the current Volvo Ocean Race were basically zero. That’s what they told us.

“Well, someone needs to check those odds again because we learned earlier this month that Mustafa Ingham passed all of the qualifications. He is fully qualified to compete in the Volvo Ocean Race.

“It’s an enormous accomplishment when you consider Mustafa had to study for and pass all those tests while:

• Working long hours for the shore team of Turn the Tide on Plastic;
• Criss-crossing the globe with the Volvo Ocean Race; and
• Maintaining the fitness regime of an elite athlete to ensure he’s ready to compete…

“And he did all of it in lightning speed – nine months.

“Remember, just three years ago Mustafa Ingham was an 18-year-old young man brimming with potential, but uncertain how to harness that potential into a career. His sailing skills were non-existent, he had neither the size nor the strength necessary to be an elite sailor back in 2015.

“But then the America’s Cup comes along, and then the Volvo Ocean Race, and now, in 2018, Mustafa is on the doorstep of a ground-breaking career in the world of sailing.

“Will he sail in the Volvo Ocean Race? Who knows. To us it doesn’t really matter, because at the Bermuda Tourism Authority and at XL Catlin, we’re already incredibly proud of Mustafa, proud of his accomplishments, proud to have him as our voice in the world of sailing and proud to see him live out his dream.”

#BermudaSailing #GoodNews #MustafaIngham #SportsVideos

Category: All, News, Sports, Videos