Diver eyes Olympic glory after life threatening surgery

Nineteen-year-old Mears (pictured at his old school, Garlands Junior School in Burghfield Common this week) will represent Great Britain in the three metre individual and three metre synchronized diving events at the Olympics next month.
But three years ago the teenager was left fighting for his life after contracting Epstein Barr virus and rupturing his spleen during the 2009 Australian Youth Olympic Festival.
Back in the England his parents, Paul and Katie, were told their son had a five per cent chance of surviving an operation to remove his spleen.
Remarkably Mears survived the invasive surgery, but five days later he suffered a massive seizure and was in a coma for four days.
After another extraordinary recovery, two weeks later Mears was well enough to return to England where his GCSE exams awaited him.
“I wasn’t thinking about diving when I got back to England because it was at the time of my GCSEs so I had to concentrate on them.
“After my exams I began to get a bit fitter and decided to continue with diving rather than going into full time education. It was then I said to my coach ‘make me an Olympic diver’,” Mears said.
Three years later and the sacrifices have paid off as Mears prepares to travel to Southend, Essex, this weekend for a final training camp before arriving at the Olympic village on July 26.
Mears, who will be diving with Nick Robinson-Baker in the three metre synchronized event, said: “I’ve got a lot of emotions going on at the moment. I’m very nervous but the nerves are making me perform in training.
“A couple of the scores Nick and I have got this year might be enough to get amongst the medals. It’s a subjective sport so with the crowd backing us hopefully we’ll do well.”
The Burghfield Common resident, who started diving aged seven, is hoping a number of his friends and family will be at the aquatic centre in Stratford, London, to cheer him on.
“I’ve still got quite a lot of friends who live locally. They’re really happy for me and always watch my competitions on the internet or tele.
“I’m just trying to organise tickets for my friends and family to the Olympics at the moment actually. It will be great to have them at the games,” he added.
Mears and Robinson-Baker will compete in the three metre synchronized event on August 1, while Mears’ three metre individual campaign starts on August 6