With each dive, she breaks through the surface tension of the water, just as she breaks through the tension of her own self-doubt. Washingtonville student, Hayden Flynn, has only been diving for two years but has found great success on her journey. Hayden has an extensive background in gymnastics, which can certainly thank for her skill. Still, it takes much more focus and dedication to become as talented as she has.
After thirteen years, the repetitive atmosphere of the gymnasium became unbearable, leading Hayden to make the difficult decision to leave gymnastics. However, that decision is what brought her to where she is now. Hayden immediately began looking for another sport to try and felt diving would be an easy transition. It was more difficult than she had ever expected. She soon realized that to overcome these difficulties, hard work would be a necessity.
The road to success has been an arduous one. Hayden shared that she has face-planted during practice and still feels like she cannot do double flips. She strives for approval from her coach: “I set unrealistic expectations for myself that I had to surpass in my progression. So I’ve learned to not only do things for the approval of other people, but the approval of myself.” She feels that developing an ‘I can’t’ mindset delays her potential progress.
Luckily, this mindset did not last too long thanks to the support she felt from her family and friends. Hayden recalled a friend who stood out in supporting her throughout the season. “She came to all of my meets. Like, the whole cheering section was her.” People like this have helped Hayden to realize how far she has come.
Hayden has made sections in both years of diving, and this year she impressively qualified at her first meet. During her first year, Hayden’s highest score was 144 points, but at her first meet this season, she scored a whopping 180 points, instantly qualifying her for sections, and she has only improved since.
In just two seasons Hayden has come twenty points short of the school record. The distance from that score highlights her hard work and determination in her sport. Her hard work has not gone unnoticed either. Washingtonville student and lifeguard Abigail Fontana has watched Hayden’s progression each meet this season. As she reflects on the success of this year, she stated, “Hayden started out as the captain, and you can really just see - whether it be through cheers or the way of her general progression through her points - how confident she became. Not only in her skills but her ability to be a leader.”
Through countless dives and moments of self-doubt, Hayden has learned that improvement isn’t about being perfect; it is about being ready to try. While Hayden is unsure of what the future holds, the people who have loved and supported her know that it will be bright.
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