DINGLEY Oliver

General
MENTAL HEALTH AMBASSADOR
He is an ambassador for Pieta House in Ireland, an organisation which helps people with mental health issues. In 2021 he became involved in their annual Darkness into Light event, which is walking fundraiser held primarily across the island of Ireland. "For many years, I was stranded with this inability to change my own situation. From my own experience many people assume that depression is just 'being sad' or 'fed up' and you should just 'man up' - I was even told to do just that. Depression is an illness that can take over your life, some days it feels impossible, the simplest of tasks can feel arduous. But every now and again, I found a chink of light through the dark clouds that had ascended over me. Those were the moments that felt precious and, in turn, they became the moments I lived for. My saving grace over the last few years has been communication. Something I initially could not bring myself to do. For a long time, I could barely bring myself to have a shower and eat, let alone have a conversation about my thoughts and feelings." (dublingazette.com, 07 Apr 2021)

NATIONALITY SWITCH
In 2015 he began representing Ireland in international competitions. He was eligible to compete for Ireland through his grandmother. He had previously competed for Great Britain, and won a bronze medal while representing England at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. His motivation to make the switch came after he missed out on selection for the 2012 Olympic Games in London and was then unable to compete in his favourite event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. "Once I had finished [in Glasgow], it really got me thinking. I contacted Ireland and they were all for it. From a personal point of view, I felt like I could achieve more." (Facebook page, 31 Jan 2016; YouTube, 17 Jun 2015; echo-news.co.uk, 08 Oct 2014)

PODCAST
In March 2020 he created a podcast called 'Life in a Bubble'. The aim of series is to speak to Irish people who have achieved great successes in their fields. (Life In A Bubble podcast, 14 Sep 2020)

He became the first Irish diver for 68 years to compete at the Olympic Games when he competed at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 05 May 2021; bbc.co.uk, 04 May 2021)