New Heights

During the summer of 2020 I received a message from Diving Canada asking if I would consider diving for the country. After hearing what Diving Canada has planned for the sport of high diving, I made the easy decision to move to Montreal and change my representative country to Canada. I now benefit from a high-dive that I can use year round, a coach, teammates and a strength coach. The atmosphere is really structured to help Canadian athletes succeed.

Glorious: For most people, cliff diving would be terrifying, so what attracted you to this extreme sport?

Jessica Macaulay: I am partly attracted to high diving because it gives me that adrenaline rush. I love the feeling of being afraid and doing it anyway. This sport has allowed me to build so much trust in myself that I couldn’t have built elsewhere. At first I thought high-diving was too scary. I could have never imagined doing the dives I’m doing today, but baby steps have allowed me to overcome all of my fears.

Glorious: It must be nerve wracking the first time you dive from a great height, can you remember and describe those emotions, and are they the same each time?

Jessica Macaulay: Yes, I remember my first high dive. I was diving into a tiny pool from a 1ft wide ladder from 20 metres. I didn’t do it because I wanted to. I did it because everyone else had done it so I couldn’t let my fear hold me back. If they could do it, so could I. I was terrified. I climbed the ladder insanely slowly and when I reached the top my heart was racing. High diving became less scary over time, but the fear never completely goes away. Now I only get truly scared if I’m learning new skills.

Glorious: Have you always been an adrenaline junkie? What other sports are you interested in/play?

Jessica Macaulay: I have always been drawn to sports that push me outside of my comfort zone. Diving was the source of that for most of my life, but within the last five years I have tried a few new activites to scare myself. I like to highline, which is slacklining super high. Imagine setting up a slackline between two mountains. I also really love lead climbing, and in the winter I enjoy going for cold plunges in the river.

Glorious: How do you control the fear factor when you step onto the platform or a cliff edge at heights of between 26-28 metres? Do you have a set pre-dive routine/strategy?

Jessica Macaulay: To keep myself in a good headspace before I dive, I like to reassure myself with positive thoughts. These days I don’t often get too scared, but if I’m having an off day, or I need to adapt to something (like waves), I tell myself that I am capable and I’ve done this hundreds of times. That’s usually all I need.

Glorious: Given the dangers, are injuries part of every competition?

Jessica Macaulay: High diving is extremely hard on the body. We are learning that the body can only withstand so many impacts. I have to be very careful with the amount of impacts I do during competitions because I have compressed nerves in my neck. If I don’t overdo it my body feels good. When I overdo it, it takes me a few days after a competition to get back to feeling alright.

Glorious: As a professional diver, what is your training schedule/do you have to follow a specific diet?

Jessica Macaulay: I dive three days a week and combine this with two weightlifting training sessions each week. I don’t follow any type of nutrition protocols. I probably have the most chilled schedule for a professional athlete. I am putting out feelers for what I want to pursue alongside my high diving career. With my relaxed schedule I have created a beautiful balance in my life.

Glorious: After a dive you sometimes have to walk back through a town to reach the steps again, mixing with the locals. Are these experiences all part of the fun?

Jessica Macaulay: These are the best cliff diving competition experiences. In Italy, when we have to walk through the town to get back to the platform, we get a chance to connect with the location and the locals. It’s part of what makes Italy one of my favourite spots to dive.