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Arkles Bay diver Holly Nutter is the youngest competitor in the Pacific Junior Diving Championships, which take place in Wellington from August 23-25.
Divers from New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia who are 18-years and younger will take part in three different age groups.
Holly, aged 11, will compete in the competition’s youngest ‘C’ age group with the 12 and 13-year-olds.
She had to apply for special dispensation from Diving New Zealand to be able to compete.
In her own age group, Holly remains unbeaten this year.
“This is my first international competition, and the biggest competition I’ve done,” Holly says. “I wanted to do it so I could keep diving with the same people, who are all older than me.”
To keep up with the older group, Holly has had to learn five new and more difficult dives prior to the championship.
She will complete seven springboard dives at both one metre and three metres high, and six platform dives.
She will also complete four synchronised dives, at three metres high, with a friend from Dunedin.
“We won’t get to try the dives together until we are in Wellington for the competition, which makes it a bit difficult,” she says.
Holly attends diving training four times a week, as well as two days trampolining, which she started this year.
“I like the challenge of trying to be better and learning new tricks.”
Her father, Matthew Nutter, will go with Holly to Wellington to officially live-stream the event.
“This is the first time New Zealand has livestreamed an international diving event,” Matthew says.
Next year, when Holly is old enough to officially become part of the ‘C’ age group, she will become eligible for more international competitions, including one in Singapore.
