By Dan Plouffe
It’s a big moment for Timothy Lewis and Emma Corrigan as the young Ottawa divers make their debut appearance at the Speedo Junior Development National Championship.
And it’s also a milestone moment for their five-year-old Ottawa National Diving Club as it sends the city’s only two competitors to the Aug. 3-4 event in Saskatoon.
Kathleen Murphy founded the club back in December 2007 when her son Brennan Villemaire suddenly found himself without a coach. The Ottawa National Diving Club could boast a tremendous success rate of producing national-calibre athletes at the time – Villemaire made it 1-for-1 as the club’s only member.
Now with a foundation of over 100 athletes participating from learn-to-dive through to the competitive level, Ottawa National’s second generation of nationals attendees provides cause to celebrate the success of the club’s programs, Murphy signals.
“We have two young ones starting from the ground up,” beams the club head coach who’s now assisted by her son. “We’re growing at a really, really good pace, and hopefully some more talent will come out of there.”
The feat was achieved by a pair of athletes who are perhaps unlikely success stories. Lewis is underage for his category – a nine-year-old competing against 10- and 11-year-olds. Only 17 athletes from across Canada achieved Diving Canada’s stringent new qualification criteria.
“It’s quite extraordinary,” Murphy details. “Timmy is definitely one of the most focused and mature nine-year-olds I’ve ever dealt with. He’s a dream to work with.”
For Corrigan, it’s a bit of a different challenge. It was recently discovered that she has fetal alcohol syndrome, which can cause a variety of mental and physical developmental disabilities.
“She is absolutely not supposed to be able to do what she’s doing,” Murphy highlights. “It’s extraordinary that she’s made it this far.”
Her syndrome is simply not something that Emma will let hold her back, her mother Kim Corrigan indicates.
“She doesn’t really think about it at all,” notes the single mom. “It’s the parents and coaches that do.”
Emma’s attention span can be short, but she’d never been so captivated as the first time she discovered diving on TV.
“I watched it for hours and hours and hours,” Emma recalls. “I absolutely fell in love with it.”
When she started diving herself, it was like a hidden talent became uncovered.
“It’s so much fun for me,” notes the Le Phare Elementary School student who’s headed into Grade 5. “Every new thing I try, I want to try to get it as best I can.”
When Emma posted the second required nationals qualification standard score earlier this season, there were tears of joy for both mother and daughter.
“I’m really happy,” Emma smiles. “I’ve trained so hard for this moment.”
Lewis is also enthused for his first opportunity to compete nationally.
“I’m really excited,” says the Elmdale Public School student. “There’s lots of people who are going to be there who are the best in the country.”
Although he’s possibly even more enthusiastic about potentially getting back to nationals next year. Not only will Lewis be on a bit more of a level playing field once he’s a year older, he’d also get to return to Halifax, which he adored during a May trip for the Atlantic Diving Championships.
“From the pool, we could walk to the harbour, and at the harbour, they had a lot of fun stuff,” Lewis reflects. “They had my favourite place for ice cream, called Cows. That was the best.”
Kim Corrigan is not as big a fan of traveling, especially on airplanes, but she’s more than willing to push aside her fear of flying – which clearly is not mirrored in her daredevil daughter – for such a big moment.
“I wouldn’t be anywhere else but by her side,” she says. “I’m very, very proud. I think she’s just amazing.”