Clarifications

Question
Hi,

I am 15 turning 16 in the summer, and I was wondering if its a late age to start diving in my circumstances.

I live in Hong Kong, a city where sport isn't a big priority. However I do travel to North America in the summer.

My only memory of the Athens Games is watching the Chinese divers dive off the 10m Platform and me jumping up and down in front of the TV. I have a faint memory of me thinking to myself that I want to do that too and dive for my country. But the thought of entering the water head first scared me and I never told my parents.

At school I'm known as the Olympic junkie, and I love sports. Problem is, I'm decent at everything but don't excel at something, which makes me feel very frustrated so now I'm searching for a new sport to pick up. I learned how to swim when I was just 2 and a half years old. I'm good at it, and I like swimming - just not competitively.

I've expressed my interest to learn how to dive last year to my parents, but they shook me off saying that he's concerned for injury (which does nothing but discourage me).

I need an expert opinion to tell me that it is possible, that I am not wasting my time. Do you think I can do it?

Answer
Olivia -

You are not too old to start up diving. I would not wait much longer though. Diving can be safe if you have the right instructor. To find one in Hong Kong, go to this website:

www.fina.org
Click on 'Structure'
Scroll down the page and look on the left for 'National Federations'
Click on Asia and then HKG

There will be information there on who to contact. Ask them where you can find diving lessons. Attend a practice so see if it is something you like. Ask for literature about the program to show to your parents.

When in North America and you want to dive, use these websites:

www.usadiving.org. Click on 'Join USA Diving' and then 'Find A Club'. Enter the state(s) you will be visiting to find a team near the city you will be staying.

www.aaudiving.org - another site to find a program

www.diving.about.com - Site that explains the sport. Enter lessons in the search box.

Good luck. I hope your parents let you at least try it out for a few months to see if it is something you want to pursue.