From ‘never doing that’ to Paris medal hopeful, the Aussie diving sensation that’s scared of heights

On this week’s En Route to Paris podcast, Australia’s diving gold medal favourite Cassiel Rousseau chats about his build up to the Games and how he is able to compete despite his fear of heights.

For Cassiel Rousseau, it was love at first dive ... well sort of.

On his first trip to the diving pool his mum had to drag the then teenage Rousseau “kicking and screaming” all the way.

As crazy as it sounds, Australia’s gold medal favourite for the men’s 10m platform at the Paris Olympics has a fear of heights.

Speaking on the En Route to Paris podcast, Rousseau said he was initially a very reluctant convert to diving after growing “too big, too tall and too heavy” to continue gymnastics and sports acrobatics.

“I kind of have a fear of heights and because I’d see the diving on TV and I’d be like, ‘no, I’m never doing that’,” Rousseau told Rowi Webster, the three-time Olympian and host of En Route to Paris.

“Which is just crazy to me that I’m doing that (diving) now.”

Cassiel Rousseau admitted he has a fear of heights on the En Route to Paris podcast. Picture: Getty Images

Rousseau finished eighth in the men’s 10m platform at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 but will be the athlete to beat after claiming gold at last year’s world Championships and being named World Aquatics Diving Athlete of the Year for 2023.

He has his mum to thank for putting him firmly on his Olympic diving path after gymnastics was no longer an option.

“My sister was trialling for diving and mum asked me if I wanted to try as well and I said, ‘no, definitely not’,” Rousseau said.

“So mum just pretty much got me out of bed that morning of my sister trialling and she grabbed me and I was kicking and screaming.

“I was like, ‘no, I don’t want to do that, I don’t want to do it’ but I eventually did.

“And then I jump off the 1m board, the 3m board and ever since then I’ve just really enjoyed doing it.

“I feel very confident in the air, which I think helps my fear of heights. But, yeah, it’s just been enjoyable ever since. So I thank you, mum.”

After a highly successful acrobatic gymnastics career, Rousseau began diving at the age of 16 and was an instant star.

He stunned the competition by winning the 3m springboard and finishing second in the 1m springboard in his first junior national titles.

Tackling the 10m platform for the first time, especially for someone with a fear of heights, was an altogether different challenge.

Will Cassiel Rousseau win gold in Paris? Picture: Getty Images

“Looking up to the 10m, you kind of tell yourself, ‘oh, it doesn’t look high at all, that’s piss easy’,” Rousseau said.

“I can easily do that but once you get to 5m and then 7m you’re like, ‘oh God, this is really high’.

“And then finally the 10m, it’s just like a completely different perspective.

“I remember my first time standing on 10m and I tried to imagine myself doing all the dives that I see, like the people doing on TV.

“I just could not for the life of me think of myself doing that, jumping off and doing all those skills in a way from that 10m.”

Rousseau said having complete confidence in his ability and trusting the process had helped him overcome his fears but getting a first dive out of the way was a unique experience.

“The first time I’m always sh---ing my pants, it’s just incredibly scary doing a first dive for the first time,’’ he said.

“But once you just get that first dive off, I kind of feel like that your brain, and the muscle memory in terms of that, you’ll just know what you’re doing in the air, even if you feel like you won’t.

“Once you actually take the first jump, everything will just come into place, and that’s when you can start building on consistency after the nerves go away.”

Originally published as From ‘never doing that’ to Paris medal hopeful, the Aussie diving sensation that’s scared of heights