It’s mind over matter for Australia’s diving champion Maddison Keeney

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Maddison Keeney diving her way to gold in the womens 1m springboard final at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on July 26.

ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Summary

• Maddison Keeney, one of Australias greatest divers, overcame her childhood fear of heights by focusing on springboard diving.
• Injuries requiring surgery forced her out of competition, causing emotional distress and fear about her future in diving.
• Keeney recovered and achieved success, including double gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and is now mentoring younger divers.

AI generated

SINGAPORE – A fear of heights is a common phenomenon, with some studies published in the Journal of Neurology saying that roughly one in four people have it.

What is far less common, however, is twisting and somersaulting in mid-air before plunging into a pool of water while carrying that fear. Yet Australian diver Maddison Keeney somehow manages to do just that.

In an interview with The Straits Times, the 29-year-old said: “When I was a kid, I didn’t really do platform (dives). I didn’t like going in planes (either). I don’t like standing backwards on the five-metre (platform) so anything higher than that, I’m like ‘no thanks’.”

She compromised by becoming exclusively a springboard diver at more comfortable heights of one and three metres.

Naturally a sporty kid from a young age, taking part in athletics, basketball and field hockey in school, her mother enrolled her in an after-school beginner diving programme after discovering her affinity for the water.

She said: “We had a pool at