Photo credits : Diving Plongeon Canada / Antoine Saito / Journal de Montréal

Q. Was there a specific moment you thought your dream of going to the Olympics might not come true? How did you overcome this challenge?
A. “I certainly had a moment of after a couple weeks in quarantine wondering if I would be able to go to the Olympics. I always tried to stay positive about it because I knew if I got mad and started to give up, it would never happen.”

Q. How did you feel when you realize you were qualified for the Olympics?
A. “I was very happy I qualified with Vincent Riendeau in the 10m synchro at the World Cup in May.  There was less pressure because I knew I was going to the Olympics, but I was still a bit nervous because I really wanted to compete solo in Tokyo. So after this I had my mind set on qualifying for individual. I was very confident going into the finals during Olympic trials. I felt strong. But diving as well as I did came a bit as a surprise.” [Laughter]

Q. What motivates you to train everyday?
A. “I stay motivated by setting goals for myself. Once a goal has been realized, I create a new one. I will do this during every practice. For example, I think to myself that my goal this practice is to do everything my coach tells me. Even if I dive poorly, I know I did what I had my mind set on.”

Q. What are your expectations towards your first experience at the Olympics?
A. “I expect the Olympics to be very stressful. Everyone I have talked to and asked advice from has told me that it is hard not to think about the Olympics since the olympics rings are displayed everywhere onsite stressing you out. These Olympics will certainly be different without a crowd but nevertheless, is going to feel the same.”

Q. How do will you manage your pre-competitive stress at the Olympics?
A. “I don’t know how I am going to feel when I am at the Games since it is my fist time. But I am just going to do the same thing I always do when I am stressed before a competition. I am starting to meditate and control my emotions in order to stay calm.”

Q. How do you react to victory and defeat?
A. “Whenever I do poorly, I always see it as a learning experience. Doing poorly doesn’t feel good, but it allows for you to evolve and not make the same mistake twice.”

Q. What excites you the most about your sport?
A. “I was actually always terrified of diving. It was my family and friends that kept pushing me because I was good at it. Eventually, I made peace with my fears and started enjoying the feeling in the air and hitting the water when I do a good dive.”

Q. Could you share with us something you’ve learned along the way as an athlete that is important for you?
A. “A good trick I always use that I don’t even realize is visualization. You visualize your dive before it happens to get a feeling of how it’s going to go and you try to recreate what you imagined in real life.”