Ruby Webb won three gold medals at the North Island Diving Championships
Pirongia-based Ruby Webb won three gold medals – from three events entered – at the recent North Island Diving Championships in Wellington last month.
Coming from a gymnastics background, it’s been a quick road to success for the 14-year-old in the springboard and platform diving world.
She also competed at the Auckland championships in April and came home with a gold medal and two silvers.
Ruby Webb in diving action in Australia earlier this year. Photo: Desol Design Solutions
After 18 months, Ruby has already been to almost 10 competitions. Although she’s been thrown into the deep end, it’s only up from here.
“Diving has lots of opportunities. You have to do heaps of competitions and get high up in gymnastics to be able to go overseas,” Ruby said.
“In my first year of diving, I was able to go overseas and compete for New Zealand. It feels very rewarding. I also coach kids who are learning to dive.
“Divers are very supportive. Even if the dive goes wrong, we still cheer for each other. It takes guts to get up on that board.”
Ruby quit gymnastics when she was 12 after a second ACL surgery.
“I was looking for a sport in the meantime, because I’m an athletic person and I missed gymnastics a lot. Mum said to try diving, it’s similar and easier on your body. I tried and realised that I had to continue.
“Finding diving filled the hole gymnastics left.”
The gymnastics experience with flipping and twisting gave her a head start.
Ruby said Wellington was a great experience because she could see her hard work paying off.
Ruby Webb has been diving for 18 months and has already competed overseas. Photo: Desol Design Solutions
“My coach is pleased as well,” Ruby said. “I’m training three days a week and two hours each session at Waterworld in Te Rapa with Waikato Diving Club.”
She also had her first taste of international competition in April, travelling to Adelaide with Team New Zealand for the Australian Age Group Championships.
“This was a huge learning curve to see the difference in the level of competition in Australia compared to New Zealand, though not placing has given her the motivation to train even harder,” mum Ruth said.
In July, she will compete in the Age Group Nationals, as well as a training camp and the School Nationals – all in Christchurch.
“Then she’ll be home for three days before flying to Melbourne with Team New Zealand to compete at the Australian Schools Games.”
Ruby loves competing at different pools and cities as well as meeting new friends.
“At the North Island champs, I enjoyed getting to know my teammates better and getting to know other divers from different clubs,” she said.
“Every springboard feels different, they either bouncier or harder and you have to get used to them. We go a day or two in advance to get used to them.”
Hyped up for a big July of competition, Ruby’s goal following that will be to perfect her twist so she can compete in Singapore next year.
She’s learned that diving is about a mental strength as well as physical.
“I struggled with the mental aspect of trying to dive into my hands for back dives,” Ruby said.
“I instinctively would flip over into a somersault, because I’d never been told to land on my hands before.
“We wear wrist guards because the impact of the water can be like hitting concrete or a small car crash. I managed to get the hang of it and got rid of the gymnastics hands.
“Divers can get mental blocks quite a lot. Sometimes your body will just stop you. You’ve got to hype yourself up to jump.
“My next focus will be to get that twist right so I can compete more internationally.”
Ruby Webb won three gold medals at the North Island Diving Championships in Wellington last month.
