Kitchener’s Preston Cooledge dives into first junior nationals

KITCHENER — It all started in cousin Rowan’s backyard pool in Windsor.

That’s where Kitchener’s Preston Cooledge first flashed his finesse from a diving board.

It wasn’t your typical plunge.

The five-year-old had poise, style and focus.

Grammy Beth was pool side at the time and witnessed the feat. She quickly passed the info on to Cooledge’s parents, who signed him up for diving lessons.

Fast forward eight years and Cooledge, now 13 years old, is headed to his first Junior High Diving National Championships, running in Montreal from July 10-16.

“It feels really nice because it was my first time trying to qualify for nationals, and I did,” said the Grade 7 student at Kitchener’s Doon Public School. “I’m really proud, and my parents and coaches are too. It really makes me feel good.”

It was a rocky start for the leaper.

Cooledge broke his arm playing at a park months before he was supposed to start with the Kitchener-Waterloo Diving Club.

A couple of surgeries later, and he was ready to go.

He’s been making a splash in the pool ever since.

“He’s pretty good when he’s in the zone,” said K-W Diving Club coach Rob Wells. “I can see him being a contender if he keeps going.”

Cooledge reached the nationals by scoring high enough on the one- and three-metre springboards at a qualifying meet in Ottawa about a week back.

Continue to sparkle at the Jr. Canadian championships in Montreal and he can qualify for the Jr. Pan American Games, according to Wells.

Cooledge has bigger goals in mind, down the road.

“The highest I want to go is to the Olympics,” he said. “I want to try to do diving for the rest of my life and try to get a scholarship (to university).”

For now, it’s all about improving and having fun.

“I love the water,” he said. “I love the thrill of doing flips.”

Cooledge has also jumped off five- and seven-metre platforms at provincial meets. Staring down into the depths of the pool from high above on the tower can be intimidating.

“It’s pretty scary still for me now,” he said.

But there is no better feeling than landing that perfect dive.

“You have to keep your body as tight as you can and look up at your thumbs,” he said, explaining his technique. “I can feel when it’s a good dive because I go into the water a lot straighter and it feels smoother.”

Cooledge practises in the pool at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex and does dryland training five days a week.

That’s the kind of dedication it takes to reach the Jr. nationals.

“I’m hoping to get a gold medal and hoping I do well against all the other provinces,” he said. “I also want to get a personal best score.”

Cooledge will join fellow K-W Diving Club members Nathan Hogarth and Beth Cleave in Montreal. The group has set up a gofundme page to help with expenses for the weeklong competition.

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