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By Anne Duggan
Twisting and turning, head up and head down, local diver Henry McKay never loses sight of his goal of excellence when he’s plunging towards the water – especially when it comes to international competitions.
“While I am spinning it is a bit blurry, but not really,” explains the Grade 9 St. Joseph Catholic High School student. “There is always the board and the water. It’s muscle memory, so, really, I do know where I am the whole time.”
Intrigued by the sport taking place alongside his older sisters’ swimming lessons, McKay began diving eight years ago and has trained under Fernando Henderson at the Nepean-Ottawa Diving Club for the past six years.
He quickly rose into one of Canada’s top young talents, earning youth national team positions every year since 2011. McKay now spends 3.5 hours a day training in the pool, on dryland and in the weightroom.
Not of the average diving stature, the 5’10” prefers to think of his current height as a not-so-secret weapon.
“I am the tallest in my age group in Canada,” notes the 2013 Pan American junior 3 m champion. “This is a disadvantage in spinning, but I definitely jump a lot higher.”
Big showing in Germany
McKay is fresh off the first European competition of his career, and he’s ecstatic with the results. Billed by Diving Canada as the biggest meet for junior-aged athletes aside from junior worlds, McKay placed 4th in tower event with a score of 439.05 points, which was less than 4 points from bronze and 7 from silver, and about 35 points ahead of a fellow Canadian in 5th.
“I did the best I ever have done – best performance and best score,” highlights the Group B (age 14-15) competitor who also placed 6th on 1 m springboard. “I think I was just really focused. I really like representing Canada and I had a great team behind me.”
Matched up against divers from around the world for the first time, McKay had to get over an advanced case of the nerves prior to the event.
“I had a lot of stress leading up to the competition, especially when I saw the other divers – the ones from Russia, Germany and Japan,” he indicates. “But, I really focused and became inspired by the other divers’ performances.”
McKay now intends to carry his momentum forward for the May 8-10 Summer Senior National Championships in Victoria and July’s Speedo Junior Elite National Championships in Edmonton.
ONDC divers in Cuba
Two other local divers also competing in international waters in April. Thanks to their clean sweep of gold medals at the Spring Provincials, Timothy Lewis and Kathryn Grant – along with their Ottawa National Diving Club coach Brennan Villemaire – traveled to Cuba to represent Ontario at the Copa Yumuri competition.
Featuring athletes from all across Canada, Cuba and Chile, the trip was made possible with funding connected to the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games.
Facing new natural elements such as the hot sun and wind for the outdoor competition, the Group D Age 10-11 athletes rose to the occasion in a big way.
Grant set a new personal-best of 256 points to take tower gold, and then won 1 m bronze. Overcoming the adversity of a missed entry in the final round of the 3 m event, the Grade 5 Chapman Mills Public School student nailed her last dive to capture her second gold by just .5 points and the division’s outstanding diver award.
“Kathryn demonstrated great abilities that only great competitors have,” ONDC notes in a club media release, “to be able to forget the past and come back strong for the rest of the competition.”
Lewis opened his meet with a 4th-place 1 m showing, then earned a silver on tower, and blew away the competition with the most difficult 3 m dives of his group en route to a gold in his final event.
“ONDC couldn’t be more proud of our athletes in and out of the pool,” the club adds. “They are showing that they are strong athletes, and amazing people to work with.”