“I urge anyone who has symptoms to address them as early as possible. I didn’t end up getting diagnosed until I was 23 and by then it was so far down the line that it was hard to come back from it without an extreme consequence.” -Oliver Adams
Oliver Adams started his battle with Crohn’s disease at 13 years old. However, it took another decade before doctors actually diagnosed him with the gastroenterology disease that can affect everything from severe abdominal pains to constant fevers. Still, Oli pushed through the ups and downs of the disease in pursuit of a professional surfing career and today he stands as one of the UK’s most successful and prominent surfers, having competed on the QS and pursuing a World Tour bid. This is Oli’s story, as told by the man himself:
You are one of the most accomplished surfers in the UK. I have spent hours watching you surf in northwest Ireland. Speaking of which you seem to have a great love for our Emerald Isle. I seem to bump into you a lot up around Bundoran. Talk us through your relationship with Eire?
Ireland is my favorite place on Earth and the place I feel most at peace/home. I’ve been coming over whenever I can for the last 15 years and one day I would love to be based there for longer periods of time than I’m currently able to pull off. Everything about it just sings to me, from the epic waves, the mountains, the green, and most of all the wonderful people and way of life. It’s heaven on Earth.
When did you first start noticing the symptoms of Crohn’s?
I was about 12 or 13 when I first started getting symptoms of Crohn’s but at that age, you don’t really know what’s going on. So I just ignored it as it was an embarrassing thing to talk about and just got on with life. After a few years it progressively got worse but at that stage, it was so normal that again I just accepted it and got on with it. It wasn’t until I became so ill that I was wiped out, in excruciating pain, and I couldn’t go on that I finally sought out medical advice. It was insane that I took so long to address the situation but when you are dealing with a hard-to-talk-about subject and there’s so much going on that you don’t want to miss out on, then youth can lead you to some very poor choices. I urge anyone who has symptoms to address them as early as possible. I didn’t end up getting diagnosed until I was 23 and by then it was so far down the line that it was hard to come back from it without an extreme consequence.
It was 2015 when you announced through social media about your condition. Have symptoms worsened, stayed the same, or improved in the past three years since the announcement?
Well, I announced that I had been suffering from the condition but also that it had caused me to have an emergency operation to remove my large intestine, leaving me with a colostomy bag. The operation and the consequence of it saved my life and has since cured me of the illness. So, in essence, I have a new life that I have never known. I feel amazing now and I wake up every day appreciating it. I thought the bag would restrict what I would be able to do and my quality of life but in fact, I don’t even notice it and it’s a constant reminder to me of what I’ve been through, which helps me to put anything else into perspective.
How did it affect you as a professional surfer? Was there a time that you experienced a significant downfall?
It affected my career way more than I even realized. I always knew there was something wrong but it’s not until recently — where I’ve felt real energy and strength for the first time — that I fully understand how much of a disadvantage I was at during my career. I mean I was trying to compete against the best surfers in the world — which is hard enough — but I was exhausted, malnourished, dehydrated and my joints were inflamed (mainly, and most crucial for a surfer, in my back) the whole time. I had a dream to be on the CT from the age of eight and I was so determined that I just kept going until I literally couldn’t go on. My last full year on the WQS was when I was 23. I was inside the top 100 going into the Triple Crown in Hawaii but I became too ill to go and never got a chance to compete there again. I’m still happy with what I achieved during my competitive career but I did sometimes think about what may have been if I had been a healthy lad.
How do you manage to stay on top of your fitness?
Before, I wasn’t able to train at all because every bit of energy I could muster was used for surfing. Now, however, I’m able to train hard and I try to do as much as possible from gym work to yoga and cardio too if the waves are bad. I’m always looking for an edge and constantly trying to improve. I feel like I’m catching on for lost time and it’s super exciting to feel big improvements all the time, even though I’m in my 30’s.
Plans for the future?
I tried to have another crack at the WQS a few years ago but a few things put me off really quick. First, I lost my seed into the Primes so I had to start from the very bottom in one-foot waves, which was very disheartening. Second, I felt my competitive drive had gone completely. I didn’t even want to beat anyone and the whole thing felt very odd. For me, surfing is about something so much different and I still want to surf the best that I can. But more as a personal challenge than to make someone else have a bad day. I still like to watch surf comps in good waves but I love surfing good, uncrowded waves more than competing in any comp. My plans for the future are just to continue to surf the best waves I can get to and to try and surf them to the best of my ability, but most importantly, to have as much fun as possible along the way.
Biggest achievement to date?
I used to care so much about titles I’d won or wanted to win and other silly stuff like that. Now I would say just trying to be the best dad that I can for my kids. Anything after that is just a bonus.
Biggest downfall?
Trying hard to never dwell on negatives and just take what I’ve learned from them. It’s hard not to think back at certain mistakes that have been made or things that have been said and not feel some kind of shame or embarrassment. But, in reality, those feelings are wasted. All you have is the present so just try to be the best person you can in each moment and use all the things you have been through or experienced to help that to come to fruition
This interview was originally published and conducted by Humans of Surfing. For more from them, you can find Humans of Surfing on Facebook here.
