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Olympic diver
11 April 2012
Olympic Diver Silver medal, gold in her eyes Silver medal, gold in her eyes Sixteen-year-old Brittany Broben wowed the nation at the 2012 London Olympics with her amazing silver medal-winning dives. But she’s not resting on her laurels; Brittany is back into training! Great Britt dives into history At only 16 years of age, […]
Olympic Diver
Silver medal, gold in her eyes
Silver medal, gold in her eyes
Sixteen-year-old Brittany Broben wowed the nation at the 2012 London Olympics with her amazing silver medal-winning dives. But she's not resting on her laurels; Brittany is back into training!
Great Britt dives into history
At only 16 years of age, Brittany Broben from Mermaid Waters on Queensland's Gold Coast, was the youngest member of the 2012 Australian Olympic Team. But despite her youth, Brittany wowed the nation – indeed the world – when she dove into stardom with a silver medal performance and a golden schoolgirl smile at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Brittany's last dive of a back two-and-a-half somersault and one-and-a-half twists from the 10m board secured her spot in history. Brittany finished second to China's 19-year-old Chen Ruolin, who retained the title she won four years ago at the Beijing Olympic Games.
Remarkably, Brittany only began diving at the age of 11; prior to that she had been competing in gymnastics at state and national levels. However, a foot injury ended her gymnastics career and she found her way into diving. Brittany quickly showed an aptitude for the sport, and at her senior level international debut at the 2011 Fort Lauderdale Grand Prix, the Queensland prodigy beat the reigning Olympic champion, Chen Ruolin.
Brittany's performance at an elite level is obviously due to her talent, dedication and sheer hard work. But her mum and dad also deserve an award for their commitment to her dream, as they drive Brittany from their Gold Coast home to and from training in Brisbane every day, often traveling up to 18 hours a week.
After Brittany's amazing performance in London, she won't be resting on her laurels. She is now gearing up for the FINA World Junior Diving Championships in Adelaide from 8 to 13 October. After that she will tackle the 2012 Australian Open Championships, 2013 Australian Youth Olympics, 2013 World Series and the 2013 World Championships. Phew!
Meanwhile she is also planning on finishing years 11 and 12, not to mention go for her driver's licence, which means she won't have time to scratch herself!
"I love the sport," says Brittany. "It's a great combination of my gymnastics background and my love of water. I really enjoy competing and doing my very best.
"The training is hard, but the results are worth it. My motto is never give up, and I live by that philosophy."
Enjoying the moment
In the meantime, Brittany is enjoying the aftermath of London. She admits she was thrilled to take part in the tickertape parades of Olympians in Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.
"It was amazing how many people came, and how they knew my name. It was also fun to catch up with all my friends from the Australian Olympic team," says Brittany.
"To come away with a medal is unbelievable. I don't think it will sink in for a long time."
With over 28 hours a week training both in and out of the pool, plus all the travelling time to and from Brisbane, there's not much time for anything else besides school work, but Brittany is prepared to do the hard yards and knows this is her chance to live her dream.