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| Human Interest | |
|---|---|
General Interest | |
| Injuries | She sustained a foot injury in early 2018. Her injury related to her having a spare bone in her foot. (thescottishsun.co.uk, 14 Apr 2018) She dislocated her left shoulder in 2014. She postponed surgery until after the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, but then missed four months following her operation. (scotsman.com, 09 Sep 2015; thenational.scot, 29 Apr 2015) In 2013 she missed a significant amount of training because of a cyst. (scotsman.com, 19 Apr 2014) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Languages | English, French |
| Higher education | Sports Science - University of Edinburgh: Scotland |
General Interest | |
| Hobbies | Reading, watching tennis, baking. (scotsman.com, 27 Feb 2020, 21 Jul 2018; telegraph.co.uk, 06 Jan 2019) |
| Superstitions / Rituals / Beliefs | She meditates every morning. (edinburghlive.co.uk, 03 Jun 2021) |
| Milestones | She became the first Scottish female diver to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games when she claimed victory in the 1m springboard at the 2018 Games in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia. (teamscotland.scot, 20 Apr 2018; SportsDeskOnline, 05 Apr 2019) |
| Nicknames | Grandma Grace [given to her by her younger teammates because she competed at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, at age 14]. (telegraph.co.uk, 06 Jan 2019) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Residence | London, ENG |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Club / Team | Dive London: England |
General Interest | |
| Other sports | She was named in a Young Scotland tennis squad at age four, but a year later chose to concentrate on diving. (scotsman.com, 01 Aug 2008) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | "I was very active as a child, and did every sport under the sun. I did diving one day and I thought this is really good and just stuck at it. It is so close to flying. It is a breath of fresh air for me." |
General Interest | |
| Awards and honours | She won the John and Margaret Bell Award at the 2011 and 2018 Scottish Swimming Awards. The award is presented to the person who has contributed the most to enhance or uphold the prestige of Scottish diving during the year. (swimswam.com, 01 Oct 2018; tminvestment.com, 15 Sep 2011) In 2010 she was named Scottish Sports Aid Junior Sportsperson of the Year, and also Young Sportsperson of the Year at the Sunday Mail Scottish Sports Awards. (tminvestment.com, 15 Sep 2011) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | Jane Figueiredo |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | She first tried diving at age four at Wester Hailes Education Centre in Edinburgh, Scotland. |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete, Student |
General Interest | |
| Other information | MOVE TO LONDON In late 2017 she moved to London, England, to train with Dive London Aquatics and work with coach Jane Figueiredo. "I am really happy in London, as a big city it can either swallow you up or help you soar and I was a bit overwhelmed at first, but I am very used to it now [speaking in early 2020] and the diving set-up could not be better for me there. Ever since I was a young diver I have always responded well to new things, change and being outside my comfort zone. The diving squad I have around me and the coach/athlete dynamic I have at the moment has really helped me." (scotsman.com, 27 Feb 2020) EARLY CAREER At age 14 she represented Scotland at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. She says she was disillusioned with the sport at the time and leading up to the next Commonwealth Games in 2014 in Glasgow, Scotland. "The years between Delhi and the next Commonwealths in Glasgow were really tricky. I still dived but the passion wasn't shining as brightly. I remember saying to my mum, 'I want to be normal, I want to be normal'. Normal to me was going up town on Saturday afternoons and not smelling of chlorine. I didn't enjoy school massively and felt quite isolated because of my diving. Maybe school wasn't easy for me but I found new friends and a whole other family in diving. My mum and dad were fantastic but chaperones become second mums and coaches looked after me at camps abroad and I came to look back on adventures like Delhi for what they were - brilliant experiences." (scotsman.com, 21 Jul 2018) FAMILY Her grandfather dived in exhibitions as a schoolboy, but neither her mother Liz nor father Allan were divers, and never steered her towards the sport. "My mum used to cover her eyes when she watched me in the gallery dive off 10 metres when I was just five years of age." (scotsman.com, 17 Apr 2014; inthewinningzone.com, 01 Mar 2008) |
| Hero / Idol | Chinese diver Guo Jingjing, Scottish track cyclist Chris Hoy, Scottish rugby union player Chris Cusiter, US singer Beyonce. (sportsgazette.co.uk, 19 May 2019; swimming.org, 18 Feb 2012) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "Try things. Don't be afraid. Diving is a scary sport. Your coach wouldn't allow you to do a new dive if they didn't think you were ready. Be brave." (swimming.org, 18 Feb 2012) |