This year, only two female divers from Australia qualified for the Olympic 3m diving event.
When the results came in, my dream came crashing down.
Fifteen years of hard work, seemingly for nothing.
Clive Rose/Getty Images
And my dreamto represent Australia at the Olympic Games for the first timewas gone in a second.
Having failed, I joined the club that no athlete wants to join: the club of almost Olympians.
The feeling nestles deep in your chest and stays with you all the time.
Georgia Sheehan
I was determined to become the next big star on the springboard.
I worked 30 hours a week.
In the mornings, I got up at 4:30 a.m. No more parties or dates.
Georgia Sheehan au World Aquatics Championships 2023 à Fukuoka, au Japon.
My adolescence, organized around exhausting training sessions, smelled of chlorine.
While my determination drove me forward, I quickly realized that I was not alone in this adventure.
The immense sacrifices that come with top-level sports are only possible thanks to a powerful support internet.
SMETHWICK, ENGLAND - AUGUST 05: Georgia Rae Leslie Sheehan of Team Australia competes in the Women’s 1m Springboard Preliminary on day eight of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Sandwell Aquatics Centre on August 05, 2022 on the Smethwick, England. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Over the past 15 years, my family has sacrificed a lot.
All for my Olympic dream.
A dream thatlet’s face itremains intact today.
GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 11: Esther Qin and Georgia Sheehan of Australia compete in the Women’s Synchronised 3m Springboard Diving Final on day seven of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games at Optus Aquatic Centre on April 11, 2018 on the Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Being eliminated from the Olympics is of course an invitation to question myself.
After reaching such heights, I felt a big slump.
It’s almost inevitable.
This exhaustion is not only physical; it’s also emotional and mental, too.
Chasing your dream is grueling, and that struggle isn’t unique to athletes, of course.
It’s a universal experience.
It was so scary but necessary.
What kind of athlete did I want to become if I decided to get back on the diving board?
Did I really want to go back?
I had an epiphany at dinner one Saturday night with my closest friends.
One of them pulled me aside and asked me if I intended to dive again.
Her frankness struck a chord, even though the subject was taboo at the time.
Many people around me avoided it.
She said, Try it again.
You may not realize it now, but you still have the chance to continue.
But if you do, ensure you’re doing it for yourself, and not for anyone else.
I came back with a new sense of purpose and a better understanding of myself.
I was convinced that things were going to change.
I believed in my potential and trained with insane intensity for three and a half years.
Looking back, I can confirm that I put all my energy into this adventure.
And I’m proud of it.
However, despite unwavering dedication, an athlete’s journey is never simple.
A missed routine, an unfortunate injury… A lot of little things can derail years of sacrifice.
In my case, 0.5 points were missing.
Today, I’m once again faced with a dilemma: whether to retire or not.
I’m not alone in this decision.
To those who continue their Olympic quest, they have my utmost respect.
You have to be emotionally strong to stay motivated when you feel your potential remains untapped and within reach.
To my fellow athletes who are still chasing their dreams: know that I see you.
You are not alone.
