Wake boarder on the crest of a wave

A 21-year-old Killiney man who left college and sold his car to fund his dream of becoming a pro-wake boarder is now well on the way to achieving his goal.

Former UCD student David O’Caoimh was dependant on borrowing his mum’s car to travel to training and competitions until he was selected to become part of the innovative Nissan Generation Next car ambassador programme.

The programme is designed to support ambitious people who could use a car or a van to achieve their dreams of becoming Ireland’s next generation of leaders on the local, national and international stage.

David was given a brand new, taxed and insured Nissan Juke to drive for a year and the freedom it has given him to travel to training all over Ireland paid off at the recent Wake Boarding World Cup in China where he ranked fourth amongst the top wake boarders in the world.

“I was studying economics and French in UCD,

? O’Caoimh said.

“My dream is to be the best wake boarder in the world. I could not see it and not try it, so I went for it.

“I left university and sold my car to follow my dream which meant borrowing my mum’s car when I needed to get somewhere.

“I applied for Nissan Generation Next and I was selected,

? he added.

“It was unreal to get my independence back. I travel a lot around the country. I have clocked up 2,000 kilometres in the last few weeks just getting around to training in Cavan, Monagahan and Cork.

“I also drive a lot from Killiney to Shercock in County Cavan, which is my second home. Cavan has 365 lakes, one for each day of the year, so I drive up there to train quite a bit.

?

David, who is also a five time Irish Wake Boarding Champion, is currently preparing for a host of international events which will take him to Malaysia and China as he pursues his dream of becoming the world’s number one wake boarder.

Nissan has now launched a nationwide search to find ten

‘Nissan Generation Next Ambassadors’ from around Ireland who, like David, exemplify the drive to succeed in their chosen field. These ten people will be given a brand new, taxed and insured Nissan to drive for a year.

“Nissan Generation Next is all about helping the best and brightest on the road to success,

? said James McCarthy, CEO of Nissan Ireland.

“It is open to anyone who is passionate, committed and working hard to achieve their goals.

“No dream is too big or small. Tell us about it and you could find yourself with the keys to a brand new Nissan that is the right choice for you and best suited to helping you to achieve your ambitions and to succeed in your chosen field,

? he added.

Applicants for the 2015 Nissan Generation Next programme can apply online at www.nissangenerationnext.ie or through the Nissan Generation Next Facebook app and will be requested to outline why they are an ideal candidate for Nissan Generation Next and how Nissan can help them to achieve their goals.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday, May 19.