Our guest this week is Jenni Cluskey, a Masters Diver who has reached her 70th birthday with the same enthusiasm for the sport and appetite for winning that drew her back in the early 90’s. Like any athlete she has faced her challenges, whether it be physical or part of the mental game that sport presents. She started diving at the age of 14 and three years later she was already qualified for national championships in the Highboard event. By the time she was 20 she earned a place on the Commonwealth Games team for Scotland where she finished 8th. And then she spent time in the Australia and New Zealand with different coaches and learning how different their system was for divers to that in the UK. She missed a chance to try out for the 1972 Olympic Games because she couldn’t afford the fare home which we learn was a mixed blessing given the massacre at the Munich games. Since returning to the UK she took a break from the sport but when she did pick it up again she began her Masters career with a vengeance competing at numerous European venues and finishing in the top three. This year the World Masters are being held in Gwanju, South Korea but Jennie has to be selective about traveling since divers are entirely self funded. She does however have her sights sent on the European Masters will be held in Budapest in 2020.
For show notes and related links for this episode click HERE.
For more conversations from the world of women’s sport including articles, blogs, videos and podcasts visit wispsports.com. WiSP Sports is the World’s Largest Podcast Network for Women’s Sport with more than 20 hosts, 1000+ episodes across 30+ shows and a global audience of over 2 million. WiSP Sports is on all major podcast players. Follow WiSP Sports on social media @WiSPsports. Contact us at info@wispsports.com.