LSS nominee Mariah Photi shrugs off youngest tag to scale new highs in diving
Roselands’ diving ace Mariah Photi ability to deal with the pressure in this precise sport could take her far.
ROSELANDS’ diving ace Mariah Photi ability to deal with the pressure in this precise sport could take her far.
The 10-year-old was second in the NSW PSSA 10 years girls springboard in April and was selected to compete in the Elite Nationals in Queensland in June.
Mariah is this week’s nominee for the Junior Sports Star in the Local Sports Star Awards.
One of the youngest in the NSWIS diving squad, Mariah is keen to emulate the success of her idol and Olympic diving star Melissa Wu.
The Earlwood Public School student said she tries to keep calm and does a mental check of what she has to do on the 5m platform.
“When I get on the platform I take a breath and run through my dive in my mind before I make way to the edge,” Mariah said.
“After that all the training kicks in and I just do the dive.
“To deal with pressure I listen to music and try not to think about the dives too much. If I get nervous, I to stay focused on each dive and listen to my coach.”
In addition, Mariah plays touch football, is a top cross country runner and is making waves in swimming.
IN OTHER NEWS
“I love pushing my limits and trying new dives and trying to always achieve my best,” she said. “I find it sometimes challenging to perform the harder dives and against older athletes.but as I am getting older I am able to execute these harder dives. I am always the youngest.”
”I thank my coach Kevin Chavez, Melissa Wu and my mum for their support.
“I would like to compete in the Commonwealth Games and hopefully the Olympics.”
Local Sports Stars is proudly sponsored by Featherdale Wildlife Park and Bankstown Sports. LSS categories include Inspiration, Team of Excellence and Service to Sport.
Nominate a young athlete at localsportsstars.com.au/newslocal.
Deep dive: Stars to watch at Aus Interschool Surfing Titles
More than 2000 of the country’s best young surfers will compete in the inaugural Australian Interschools Surfing Championships on the Gold Coast. We reveal the must-watch stars who will make history here.
Revealed: Players you need to watch at National Netball Championships
Future Diamonds will shine on the court at the National Netball Championships. Find out which players you should be keeping an eye on during the week-long tournament.