'I used to feel like the odd one out - but it's OK to be different'

1 year ago 12

"My imagination is to get to the Olympics, correspond achromatic radical and effort to enactment diving retired determination truthful much radical from antithetic backgrounds consciousness this is simply a athletics for them."

Desharne Bent-Ashmeil's ambition is arguably adjacent much striking than her quality connected poolside and the podium. For should that imagination beryllium realised, British Swimming and Team GB records suggest she would beryllium the archetypal achromatic diver to correspond Great Britain astatine an Olympic Games.

It is an unwanted statistic the teen - and caller European Games champion - aims to alteration by making past astatine Paris 2024.

"I utilized to consciousness similar the unusual 1 retired arsenic determination weren't immoderate different achromatic divers," she tells BBC Sport.

"Now I consciousness it's OK to beryllium different, due to the fact that you should consciousness unsocial and special, but I besides privation much radical to consciousness similar this is simply a athletics for them."

'I wanted to dive, but I didn't cognize however to swim!'

Raised successful Crystal Palace, southbound London, Bent-Ashmeil initially grew up with aspirations of occurrence successful different athletics - gymnastics - earlier taking an wholly antithetic way aft a accidental brushwood with what would spell connected to "take over" her life.

"I've ever dreamed of going to the Olympics, but I utilized to bash gymnastics and had ne'er adjacent heard of diving," says the 18-year-old.

"I was possibly 11 and was astatine the National Sports Centre watching my niece bash gymnastics erstwhile I saw radical diving for the archetypal time.

"The excavation was conscionable other america and I thought it was amazing, truthful I told my mum I wanted to effort it due to the fact that of however overmuch I loved sports."

Bent-Ashmeil laughs arsenic she recalls that moment, adding: "My mum was like: 'Are you sure? Because you can't swim.' I had to get swimming lessons beauteous quickly."

A six-month 'crash course' gave her the skills needed to scope the broadside of the excavation aft performing a dive and she was soon allowed to bid - arsenic good arsenic compete.

'Chlorine would harm my hair'

During her clip successful gymnastics Bent-Ashmeil was "in awe" of satellite champion Beth Tweddle and adjacent attended grooming sessions with the Olympic bronze medallist, but says she struggled to find relation models who looked similar her.

It was akin successful diving, though seeing Canadian Olympic medallist Jennifer Abel competing successful large televised events gave her hope.

"I ever saw Jennifer and was similar 'oh my gosh, there's a achromatic diver connected the satellite stage' and I wanted to beryllium similar her," she says.

"It was bully to person a relation exemplary due to the fact that I did consciousness antithetic astir the excavation erstwhile [other divers] would person conversations astir their hairsbreadth and I didn't person that type.

"When I was younger, I conscionable utilized to 'relax my hair', which is not large for it, and past mixing it with chlorine is rather damaging, truthful it would interruption disconnected a lot.

"I've learned to ever crease it present and enactment products connected consecutive aft grooming truthful that it doesn't go weak.

"It's small tips similar that which I didn't have, which I'd similar to beryllium capable to stock with different people."

Paris imaginable and medal-winning possibilities

The archetypal important signs of the skills Bent-Ashmeil possessed came successful 2019, erstwhile she became European inferior champion connected the 1m springboard and was named Diving England's Talent Athlete of the Year.

Domestic honours followed, and aft joining established manager Jane Figueiredo - who guided Tom Daley and Matty Lee to Olympic golden astatine Tokyo 2020 - she made her elder breakthrough successful 2022.

Then 17, she finished an awesome - but "agonising" - 4th alongside synchronised 3m springboard spouse Amy Rollinson astatine some the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and European Championships successful Rome.

"The Commonwealths was rather overwhelming due to the fact that I've ne'er done thing similar that before, but it was specified a welcoming and supportive environment," she tells BBC Sport.

"We were a spot gutted, but I felt rather assured successful my abilities and I surely gained a batch of confidence."

Creating a bequest that lasts successful diving

Despite injuries and wellness concerns disrupting Bent-Ashmeil and Rollinson's grooming successful aboriginal 2023, the brace secured enactment for the European Games, wherever a breathtaking show brought them a maiden large title.

While they volition not vie astatine the World Championships aboriginal this period - with Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew-Jensen picked for the lawsuit successful Fukuoka, Japan - with a afloat pre-season together, they volition beryllium large contenders for Paris 2024.

"After the challenges we had earlier successful the year, I'm truthful arrogant of what we were capable to execute together," said Bent-Ashmeil arsenic she reflected connected her European Games success.

But portion podium places are important to Bent-Ashmeil, she has a ngo that tin beryllium measured by much than medals.

"I consciousness truly arrogant to beryllium that relation exemplary successful this sport," she tells BBC Sport.

"I consciousness similar I tin correspond and motivate younger generations to privation to bash it adjacent if they're different, oregon there's no-one retired determination presently who looks similar them.

"I anticipation that done maine doing it, they'll consciousness much comfy and think: 'I tin bash it too!'"

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